Technician
by Myareska
Summary: One day, a young student of Signal Academy receives a package from home, containing the journal of a long dead relative. But what is Jaune Arc going to do with said journal, and how will it change not only his world, but that of those around him?
1. The Package

**Hey guys, Myareska here with my first ever fanfic! Well, first one I've actually published anyways, but that's besides the point.**

 **RWBY has been something I've come to love over the past few years since its inception, and I honestly feel like its world has so much potential, so here's my take on the life of one Jaune Arc. This is going to be slightly AU, as Jaune is going to start off as a student at Signal for the first bit of this fic. It might be quite some time before we reach anything canon, but i hope you guys will enjoy the ride!**

 **Now, to the beginning!**

* * *

Signal Academy: one of Vale's own intermediate-level combat schools. Situated on the island of Patch just off Vale's coast, Signal teaches its students a variety of disciplines, not excluding wilderness survival, hand to hand combat, weapon-based combat, Dust handling, and Aura manipulation.

Many graduates of Signal Academy go on to pursue careers in either law enforcement or the military. However, Jaune Arc wasn't the type of person to settle for second best; He wanted to be a Huntsman, like his father, and he was going to be one of the best.

If only his grades were better...

The hunter aspirant let out a heavy sigh as he absentmindedly made his way 'home'. Home being a small apartment suite that had been cheap to rent, yet close enough to Signal that walking wouldn't take an hour or two out of his day. While living alone in the apartment required nearly his entire monthly allowance his parents granted him, financially, it was worth it. Otherwise, taking a ferry from the mainland to Patch and back every day was very taxing for both his wallet _and_ his time.

...And on his stomach. Being motion sick _sucked._

Jaune had always wanted to go to Signal himself, as opposed to one of the other combat schools Vale had. Signal had been where his dad had gone, after all, and Jaune's father was one of the best Huntsmen he knew. Sure, if you spent enough time on the internet, you see stories and hear rumors of the feats of many a Huntsman or Huntress, but to Jaune, the Huntsmen in the news broadcasts or plastered all over magazines didn't feel real.

His dad _did._

The blond couldn't help but shiver as a chilly breeze hit him, as if to remind him that fall was nearly over. It still hadn't snowed, thankfully, but in the past three years, Jaune had learned the weather on Patch could be... _unreliable_ at best. It could be bright and sunny one moment, then there'd be flurries the next. It wasn't unusual for the weather on Patch to be completely different from mainland Vale, either - something to do with the ocean currents or something.

 _Maybe it'd be prudent to invest in a warmer coat before the seasons began to shift_?

Jaune shook that thought off immediately as he began the short ascent up his apartment complex's stairs. He couldn't afford to make any unnecessary purchases. He'd just have to grab one of his old coats from home when he went back for the holidays.

Until then, he figured, the cold would further strengthen his body and mind.

 _Heh, yeah_. That sounded about right.

Upon reaching his floor, Jaune spotted something... peculiar as he proceeded to walk down the hall: a small cardboard box sitting right outside his door.

 _A package for me_?

Instantly his thoughts went back to home, and he wondered if perhaps his mother, being the thoughtful person she was, had sent him a winter coat preemptively. She was always prepared for anything and everything. Jaune supposed she needed to be, having eight children and all.

The blond picked up the package, elated to find that on closer inspection it had indeed been sent from home, but Jaune was ultimately curious as to what it contained. It was too small to be a winter coat, even if it had been forced inside, and it had an odd weight to it. After fiddling with his keys for a moment, the boy let himself in.

Jaune strode forward, gently placing the box on his bed - in case it was fragile - before heading into his bathroom to have a shower. Whatever was in the box, it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

...He hoped.

The hot water did wonders in soothing the aching pains from sparring earlier. Jaune poked and prodded at a bruise on his collarbone, wincing at the pressure he put on the minor wound. Not having his aura unlocked had always taken its toll in practice fights, but he understood why his father wanted to put that off for as long as possible.

He was becoming a better fighter by not having to rely his Aura, but it put other students head and shoulders above him in their combat scores. Fights between two combatants with Aura were worth much more than a practice match between two students who did not have their's activated.

Not that the boy thought he could easily beat someone just because he had Aura, no. Jaune wasn't exactly the best fighter at Signal, but he certainly wasn't the worst; he likened himself to being at the middle of the pack. While he was at the top of the students who hadn't had their Auras unlocked, odds are he'd lose if he went up against even the last place student among those who had their aura unlocked.

He was just happy the students without Aura had to use practice weapons. Otherwise his wounds would be a lot more serious, if not fatal.

Finished with his shower, Jaune toweled himself off before getting into his onesie, the comfortable blue fabric soft against his skin. It was likely he wasn't going to be leaving the apartment until he had to head out for classes the next day, so in his eyes, it was perfectly acceptable to get into his pajamas at five in the afternoon.

Now he was _comfortable._

Grabbing the knife he kept under his pillow – a good habit for a Huntsman, according to his current teacher – Jaune carefully cut the tape that sealed the package.

First thing out of the package was a letter, addressed to him from his mother, as he'd expected. She'd never liked sending lengthy messages through scrolls, so ink and paper was what Jaune had become accustomed to receiving from her. With the proximity to the Color Holidays, he'd been expecting one anyways.

 _'Dearest Jaune,_

 _I do hope things are going well over at Signal. Your father is out on a mission right now, and your younger sisters have been spending a lot of time out of the house as of late. It's been pretty lonely here at home. I've had a lot of time to myself recently; time to myself means time to think, to reflect. I certainly would think you're working as hard as you can, right Jaune?_ '

There was a slight sting of guilt at that. Jaune had indeed been working hard, but results were hard to get – and what really mattered.

'But _don't forget it's important to take breaks. Don't work yourself to the bone like I did in my youth. Oh, you should have seen what I was like when I was younger. I was quite the little warrior myself. It's how I met your father, actually. I attended Beacon Academy the same year he did, and though we were on separate teams, we_ bonded.'

Jaune blinked, re-reading the last sentence a few times. He'd never known his mother went to Beacon - he'd never considered it.

To him, she was always just 'Mom': the woman who would take him and his sisters to primary school, the same one who watched on, teary eyed as he rode the ferry to Patch with his father. Now he was doubly sure that Beacon was where he wanted to go - not only did his father go there, but his _mother_ too. Thoroughly interested in what other knowledge the letter contained, he continued reading.

'I'd _promised myself that I would tell you this story when you've become a full-fledged Huntsman, but I've had a change of heart, so to speak. Did you know I had a sister?_ _My baby sister couldn't help but follow in her big sister's footsteps. She'd shattered any records I set, got higher grades – she was better even than your father, and was I ever bitter about it. We had a falling out during my fourth year at Beacon. But she was still my sister. And then one day, years after me, your father, and my sister graduated, I went to apologize, to reconcile... and she was gone. I think you were six years old yourself then._

 _She'd died. I couldn't continue being a Huntress after that. I was only a shell of my former self. You and your sisters and your father became what I lived for. Our house was my_ _new_ _battleground, not the Grimmlands._

 _My sister had left me in her will. I was to receive her 'journal'. She left one of her most prized possessions for her 'dear sister, who'd always been her inspiration'. In my grief, I couldn't turn my eyes to it; couldn't bring myself to flip open its cover, and read what she'd once written. I'd stored it in the attic, and it sat forgotten for ten years. I had to let go._

 _I retrieved it just a day ago, when I was doing some cleaning, and decided that what was contained would be for a Huntress' – or a Huntsman's – eyes only. I believe it will do a lot of good in your hands._

 _Love, your mother, Alabaster Arc._ '

Jaune let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. His mother had been a Huntress? He'd had an aunt he'd never known?

Hands shaking with anticipation, Jaune set the letter down on his bed, reaching deeper into the cardboard box. When his hands came back out, they had clutched in their grip a leather backed notebook, the lettering on the front long since worn. Taking in a deep breath, Jaune flipped to the first page.

The black ink stared back at him, seemingly eager to impart its knowledge. Jaune scanned through the 'table of contents' if one would call it that. Listed were topics like Dust Alchemy, Calibrations and Range Finding, Ballistics, Weapon Maintenance and Crafting, Bestiary, Aura – The list went on, and the topics were varied.

This isn't a journal, was all that Jaune could think. It was a textbook: one handwritten by his Aunt. And unlike anything else he'd ever read, he was enraptured by it.

Flipping to the first topic – Dust Alchemy, something Jaune might have considered boring just from the title – he began to read the first entry.

 _'Burn Dust – Un-ground and uncut, has explosive properties. Ground, it can work as a primer or a fuse, or when mixed with other types, as a 'booster'. Yet to find a good use for cut burn crystals aside from embedding or engraving. Recipes on pg.13, 14._ '

Curiosity not yet sated, Jaune flipped to page thirteen. Then to the next page, and then the next.

He continued flipping pages. There were roughly thirty pages of Dust recipes _alone._

This was the edge he needed. The knowledge in this book alone would be able to make him a much better fighter - and eventually, a better Huntsman. Moving to his desk, he sat down with the book in hand and started doing something he had hardly done in his three years at Signal.

Jaune Arc started studying.

* * *

The young Arc stretched one hand high above his head, attempting to suppress a yawn with the other. He was almost done. Just a few more pages and he'd have finished the section on 'Dust Alchemy' as it was referred to. Dust Alchemy? The entire section told him pretty much everything there was to know about Dust – or at least, everything he _needed_ to know, according to his aunt.

There were little stories along with the notes, neat little tidbits that made him smile: such as the time Alabaster – his mother, only referred to by name or as 'my dear sister' – accidentally mixed Burn Dust with a little bit too much Shock Dust, and split a lab desk in two.

He had to be sure to ask his mother more about her sister. After reading all this, she must have been quite something.

...Or maybe he shouldn't. He didn't want to stir up any harsh memories.

Turning to look out the window, Jaune noticed the sun was just about to dip below the horizon, and decided it was time to hit the sack. Slipping his mother's letter into the notebook to serve as a bookmark, he started to make his way over to his bed, only to freeze his tracks.

Jaune knew three things.

One: He was exhausted. He'd spent a long time reading, after all.

Two: The sun set in the west. His window was facing east.

Three: He had class today.

"Oh no."

Mr. Branwen was going to kill him.

* * *

 **Well, what do you guys think? Feel free to leave a review.**

 **Next Chapter: Actual dialogue, and Signal Academy in the flesh.**

 **'till next time! :D**

 _ **Updated: January 17/17**_


	2. Dust and The Crow

**Hey guys! Here comes the second chapter of Technician!**

 **I am amazed at how well received this story has been so far. You guys rock!**

 **Without further ado, prepare yourselves!**

* * *

The young Arc was in a panic. He was going to be late. _Again._

Glancing up at the clock on his wall, Jaune made note of the time. It was almost eight o'clock. That meant that if he ran – no, if he _sprinted_ – he might just make it in time. If he was still late at that point, well, then there was nothing he could do about it.

Slipping into his shoes, Jaune's thoughts wandered back to the book he'd spent all night reading. Should he bring it to class? Maybe he could find some time at lunch to read another section. Casting it a final longing glance, the blond bolted out the door, hastily locking it behind him. He didn't have _time._

Taking the stairs two at a time, Jaune hit the ground floor in seconds. Rushing past his landlady with a quick "excuse me", the hunter hopeful started in a full out sprint towards Signal.

Although he was curious as to why his landlady had worn such an odd expression on her face, he didn't have enough time to ask her what was wrong.

Keeping low to the ground, Jaune poured all of his energy into covering the most distance he possibly could, the quickest he could. Focused on keeping his stride length long, he tried to ignore how cold the air felt as it passed by him, or as it entered his lungs. While the chilly air was uncomfortable, Jaune could put up with it. He was infinitely more concerned about being late.

It would be the second day in a row he'd be late, and while Mr. Branwen could be forgiving, Jaune was certain his tardiness today would tick his teacher off a little bit too much. So far this year, he'd managed to avoid detention entirely, and he'd sorely wanted to keep that record going.

Detentions with Mr. Branwen were things to be feared, apparently. Even Yang Xiao Long, Mr. Branwen's niece, hadn't escaped 'unscathed.'

Qrow Branwen didn't mince words, even when it came to family. Or so it seemed.

Jaune couldn't help but shudder at the thought. He reassured himself that surely being late two days in a row wasn't that bad of an offence? The cynic in Jaune dismissed that immediately; students got detention for things as minuscule as speaking out of turn in Mr. Branwen's class.

No one ever disagreed with their teacher's decision either. In their first ever combat class of the year, the grizzled teacher fought every single student at once, bare handed, and swept the floor with them. Literally - he grabbed one student by the leg, and dragged him around the entire time he fought. If that wasn't a testament to his skill, Jaune wasn't sure what _would_ be.

Jaune slowed to a jog, panting lightly as he passed through the gate that indicated he was now on Signal Academy grounds. The sprint had taken a lot out of him – maybe it was the lack of sleep catching up to him – but he was too close to stop and catch his breath now.

Aesthetically, Signal wasn't exactly the _prettiest_ of schools, its rough stone walls painted a dark, bloody crimson. While it was rather... _basic,_ that didn't mean Signal wasn't imposing - he'd actually been quite scared the first time he walked it's halls, though his fear was mostly brought upon by his nerves at the time. But all the same, after all the time he'd spent there, Jaune could consider it his "home away from home, away from home". He'd spent hours cooped up in the classrooms contained by those red walls.

It wasn't as if every minute he spent there was enjoyable, oh no. But Signal was a place that symbolized the memories he'd made with his friends.

Friends that were no longer with him, was the bitter thought that crossed Jaune's mind. They hadn't died or anything morbid like that, but most of the friends he'd made were people closer to his skill level. As such, his friends - instead of taking an extra year for hunter prep - decided to move on to other things: one friend went to join the Vale Police Force, another moved to Atlas, signing up for the military. Everyone seemed to be going separate ways.

And now, he was the only one of his group left, stubbornly keeping on through the rigorous hours of physical and mental training. He may be lonely now, but he was certain that would change when he went to Beacon. He was sure he'd be able to make some new friends there.

Finally outside the door of his classroom, Jaune couldn't help but curse under his breath. The door was closed – lessons had already started. The boy took a deep breath, prepared to face what lay on the other side. He turned the doorknob and carefully started to push the door open, praying it wouldn't creak.

His prayers went unanswered, as the door made quite possibly the _loudest_ creaking noise he'd ever heard... _ever_. The 'stealthy' approach out the window, Jaune instead swung the door open quickly, strode confidently into the classroom, and into the prying gaze of his fellow students and his instructor.

The entire room was silent: not even the hushed whispers of friends or neighbors were heard. Jaune looked around nervously, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

A beat passed, and then there was a peculiar sound. Was that… laughter?

Jaune glanced towards the source, and was shocked. His teacher, Qrow Branwen, had a fist held in front of his face, attempting to hide his grin and stifle the chuckles that were coming forth.

Not a moment later, the entire class broke out into raucous laughter. Jaune didn't know how to respond, face beet red, he did the only thing he could; he moved forward, ignoring the laughter and sat in his seat.

The laughter started to die down a little, until from the back of the class, he heard Yang Xiao Long call out: "Nice onesie, Arc!"

Jaune's heart practically skipped a beat. He looked down, and then, it dawned on him.

He'd sprinted to school because he was going to be late, without a thought. He hadn't even thought to change out of his warm, fuzzy, and damn right cozy sleepwear.

He was going to have to burn it when he got home now.

His head collided with his desk as he let out a loud groan. This, of course, renewed the jubilation of the entire class. " _Thanks Yang._ " Jaune whispered under his breath, inaudible amongst the din of the students.

The laughter rang for another few seconds before Mr. Branwen – now fully recovered by his own laughing fit – was able to calm the class back down.

At least Jaune had been able to make someone else's day better. He knew for a fact that his was going to be _hell_.

"Now then, Arc's choice of dress aside-" O _h come on, Mr. Branwen_! "-I believe it's time we continued with our lesson, yeah?" he got a nod of affirmation from his more attentive students. "Well then, we're now moving onto a topic that a lot of you will love, and even more of you might hate.

"Today," Mr. Branwen turned and began writing on the chalkboard "we're going to be learning about Dust."

Jaune couldn't help but perk up at that. They were going to be talking about something he had just spent all night studying? What a lucky coincidence.

At the same time, he heard the groans of numerous students all around him, including one particular blonde brawler.

"Xiao Long," despite being his niece, there was no affection in his words "why… the _Long_ face?"

A chorus of groans went up at the awful pun.

Gods, now he knew where she got that _great_ sense of humor from.

"I just don't see why we all need to learn about Dust, when some of us don't even use it in combat." Yang stated seriously, ignoring the pun.

"Oh, but you do."

It took a couple of seconds, but Jaune realized that by everyone else's inquisitive looks, it was himself that had been the one to speak.

He swore to never miss out on sleep _ever again_.

"Go on, Mr. Arc." His teacher prompted, eyes narrowing curiously.

Turning towards his fellow blonde, nervous about being the center of attention yet again, Jaune continued: "Yang, your gauntlets use shotgun shells, correct?" a quick nod was her response. "Thought so. Any and all types of ammunition use Dust primers and charges in order to propel their projectiles; some more specialized types of ammunition have projectiles that are even made from Dust, and can convey a variety of different effects."

That was the second time that day Jaune had left the entire class silent.

 _That didn't make me sound like too much of a nerd, did it_? Jaune glanced around awkwardly, seeing the stunted looks on some of his classmates' faces.

"Mr. Arc is not wrong," Jaune was thankful that Mr. Branwen was able to draw the prying eyes off him "Dust, in reality, is a naturally occurring energy propellant – one might say it is nature given a crystallized form. Fire, lightning, ice, wind; there are many kinds of things it can do, and it can be prepared in a multitude of ways.

"On the topic of Dust ammunition, is there anyone who can tell me what exactly you would find within the casing of a Dust round?"

Jaune knew the answer – it was simple. But the blond had to resist the urge to raise his hand. He'd drawn more than enough attention to himself already today - he was the only kid in the hunter-prep course who didn't have an active aura. He already had all sorts of rumors going around about him. The last thing he needed was people thinking he was some sort of genius.

Or... well, maybe he'd like that.

Mr. Branwen's non-plused expression as he scanned the crowd of students, however, gave the young Arc the final push he needed to slowly raise his hand. If he could get into his teachers good graces, maybe he could avoid a detention.

The grin Mr. Branwen had as he met Jaune's eyes made everything worth it.

* * *

"A lot of participation from you today Mr. Arc." Qrow stated clearly as he leaned back in his chair. The Arc kid - no doubt thinking he was in 'detention' - shuffled nervously in front of his desk.

Well, theoretically, Qrow supposed it could be considered detention. He was holding a student... ' _captive'_... after class hours. Whatever, it made no difference to the grizzled Huntsman whether the young blond considered this detention or not.

"Well, uhh, yeah," Gods above, why was the kid so nervous? "Dust is... uhh, a topic I know quite a bit abo-"

"Did you learn anything new today, Arc?" Qrow interrupted, taking a swig from the glass of water he kept on his desk - actual water, too, not that he could convince Yang any different.

The blond stopped to ponder Qrow's question, a ghost of a smile coming to the hunter aspirant's face.

Gesturing to his own state of dress, Jaune quipped "That a lack of sleep leads to a lack of attention to detail?"

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle briefly at that. "You are not wrong, but I meant with regards to today's lecture."

Leaning forwards and tenting his fingers on his desk, the veteran elaborated: "You claim to know a lot about Dust, and by the answers you were giving, that's not false. Was there anything that I had mentioned today that was new to you?"

"Hmm... not necessarily, but when I gave you my answer for the contents of a Dust cartridge, you said it was _ground S_ hock Dust that carried the charge, not cut. Why is that?"

Honestly, when Qrow had posed that question, he'd hoped to just get a straight answer of 'Burn Dust.' If that was the case, then Qrow would have been able to explain exactly why that was wrong. Jaune's explanation, however, was more than he'd expected.

If the young Arc had given that answer on a quiz, Qrow would have felt the need to give bonus marks.

Qrow didn't give bonus marks. Ever.

"As you no doubt know, Mr. Arc, cut Shock Dust crystals carry a charge much quicker than its ground counterpart, correct? Cut Shock crystals are a lot more fragile however, and can lead to misfires and accidental weapon discharge. It's been a topic of debate between many Huntsmen and Huntresses for years. Ground-Shock rounds, as they are called, are much more durable and safe, while the cut-Shock rounds simply fire _quicker_. However, the difference in speed is minuscule, thus irrelevant, and ground-Shock rounds have become the norm."

At a glance, Qrow could tell the young man was absorbing what he said like a sponge. Strange, considering the boy hadn't been doing well in his studies as of late.

Qrow sighed before continuing, returning to his laid back position, "I had a friend, once, who used cut-Shock rounds. But that's because it had _really_ mattered to her – 'even a split second can make a difference' she'd said."

Qrow hadn't seen her in awhile – maybe he should go visit? She'd probably-

Jaune clearing his throat returned Qrow to the present. As much as he might have enjoyed talking about Dust with Qrow, it was evident that he wanted to be on his way – likely to go spend time with friends or something.

"Ah, but I've gone off on a tangent, haven't I? I didn't call you here to talk about your classes today, nor about your tardiness, as you may have feared." There was a sigh of relief from the blond at that. "No, we're here to talk about your graduation requirements, one in particular."

"… My graduation requirements?"

"Oh, I should clarify. I know you've been avoiding it for quite some time – three years, to be exact – but you do need to craft your own weapon at some point, you do know that right?"

The blond sighed, while turning his eyes to his shoes – the only part of his outfit that was correct. "I know." was the curt reply.

"I know that you know," Qrow quipped back, "But it needs to be done. I know your father – I've spoken with him recently. He's... very adamant that he'll be leaving the Arc's traditional blade in your care once you graduate Signal, but he agrees with me when I say you need the experience."

"I'll... start working on it." was the quiet response.

"Good. If you have something drawn up for the forge-master by the end of the month, she'll get something in your hands before the holidays hit - that's all I ask." Receiving a nod in return, Qrow gestured towards the door, hoping the young man would take the hint. "Keep up the good work, you impressed me today." The blond gave a polite nod in acceptance, before turning and leaving the room.

Glancing around to confirm the room was empty, Qrow let out a lengthy sigh.

Now, where'd he leave his flask?

* * *

 **Well, that's it for the second chapter!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **On another note, I'll be trying to update frequently, but you can probably expect a larger gap between future chapters; i can guarantee the longest you guys might have to wait for an update will probably be a month - but hopefully it wont be that extreme.**

 **See you soon!**

 _ **Updated: January 23/17**_


	3. Friendship

**Hey all! Another chapter for you guys, fresh off the press.**

 **Trying to get this chapter out was super frustrating. I had to rewrite it four times - FOUR - and i decided to go with the original anyways, with some modifications. If the flow seems weird, that is certainly my bad. I also had to use a (short) time-skip, so I'm terribly sorry if that irks you; it needed to be done.**

 **This chapter begins to set up a lot of things, as well as put others in motion.**

 **Now, before I bore you all to death, here's the chapter!**

* * *

Winter had hit the island of Patch. And it had hit it _hard._

Jaune shivered as he shoveled, dressed in his normal clothes – but with his onesie underneath. It proved an innovative alternative to a winter coat, and better yet, he was comfortable anywhere he went, whatever he was doing.

So long as Yang didn't know he was wearing it, he was safe. She'd finally stopped referring to him as 'Onesie Boy', and he'd very much prefer to keep it that way.

With Colors Day practically right around the corner, Jaune was beyond excited. He'd get to see his family again, and for the first time in _months._ His father, his mother, his sisters; all of them, hopefully. Just the thought of being together with them again made his heart soar.

The blond continued clearing the snow away, revealing the rough concrete beneath. His landlady had asked him to do this as a favor, suggesting that if he was willing to clear all the snow from the sidewalk, as well as the walkway leading up to the apartment building, he'd have reduced rent for the month.

She could of just said that she'd pay him for shoveling the snow, but the way she worded it actually did make it sound more promising. It didn't matter in the long run; Jaune would have done it anyways.

He had to get all the lien he could, if he was going to be buying Dust for experimentation. Fortunately for him, the price of Dust was at an all-time low.

Perhaps ironically, it was due to terrorism.

The White Fang had bombed a section of the Schnee Quarry about a week ago, hoping to cause a chain reaction in the Dust that was underground, putting a halt to the entire operation. Instead, the explosion opened up an expansive cave system that, right next to where the Schnee Corp. had been digging, was filled to the brim with veins of high quality Dust.

Jaune was just happy that it meant he'd be able to test his new weapon a lot more once it was completed. He'd been 'late' handing in his schematics, so it wouldn't be finished before the holiday break.

With plenty of help from a certain black leather book, he'd been able to reverse-engineer an old Atlesian weapon he'd found at a _garage sale_ of all places.

One man's junk is another man's treasure, Jaune'd thought.

First Jaune had repaired the damn thing – got it working properly. After that he'd then modified it to suit his purposes, taken it apart, and then catalogued each individual piece; from its materials to its exact measurements. The whole process had taken a whole month.

He'd taken the schematics to Mr. Branwen before handing them over to the forge-master, to see what he thought. His exact words were:

 _"Kid, if you can learn to fight with that thing, you're going to give the Grimm something new to fear."_

Obviously, Jaune knew it was just a figure of speech – Grimm couldn't actually fear anything – but it was high praise from Mr. Branwen regardless.

Jaune let out a sigh, watching as his breath came out in a cloud of water vapor. Two more days until the holidays began. Then it was eight days until he had to be back at Signal. Ten days total before he'd receive his weapon.

But that could wait. Colors Day came first, and to Jaune, the time he'd be able to spend with his family made it much more important.

The young man sighed, as he continued shoveling, not knowing that a pair of silver eyes were staring at him from under a red hood.

* * *

Plastic fork cutting valleys through his cafeteria food, Jaune couldn't help but sigh. The paths he'd carved quickly disappeared, cream rushing back in to fill the gaps in... whatever it was he was eating. Some kind of porridge? It had a texture like pudding, but it tasted awful – like almost anything that was healthy.

That was like one of the laws of the universe: things that tasted good were always bad for you, and things that tasted bad, were always good for you.

Jaune sighed as the food slipped through the tongs of his chosen utensil.

Seriously, maybe he should have grabbed a spoon.

Moving quicker this time, Jaune managed to take a small 'bite' of his food, and then nearly choked on it when he looked up and saw Yang Xiao Long sitting across the table from him.

"Hey, 'Onesie Boy'." she waved nonchalantly. Oh come on, he thought she was done with that!

Pounding his chest, certain that the food was going down the proper pipe this time, Jaune swallowed before giving his fellow blonde a reply, "Yang! How long have you been sitting there?"

"Just a couple of minutes. It looked like you and your food were having a moment, so I didn't want to interrupt. Especially when it looked like things were about to get... _saucy_."

Jaune could only stare at her with what he hoped was a deadpan expression. "That was brutal."

"I'll take that as a compliment." she lazily plucked a grape from his tray popping it in her mouth, but he didn't care; curse the foul tasting fruit.

...Grape soda was okay though.

"Anyways... what's up?" Yang asked while chewing.

Jaune, over the past month, couldn't help but notice that Yang had been... more friendly towards him. He didn't want to read into it as being more than it was, but he still blushed at the thought that she might be interested in him. Obviously, though, that was _impossible_.

He didn't care what anyone said about her tomboy-ish personality; Yang _was_ a girl. Quite the attractive one too, Jaune might add. Although that was probably understating it.

"Not much. Just tired; I've been spending a lot of time studying recently, so I haven't been getting much sleep. The cold's been bothering me quite a bit too." Seeing that she was done with the first one, Jaune tossed her another grape.

Yang seemed pleased with the small fruit she caught in her hand, and gave Jaune a light smile.

"I'm not a big fan of winter either. What have you been studying for though?" Yang asked with genuine curiosity, before Jaune noticed her eyes widen in panic, "We don't have any more tests before the Color Holidays do we?"

Jaune couldn't help but laugh at that, "Nah, we don't have a test or anything. But I'm studying up as much as I can on Aura."

"Despite not having yours unlocked yet?"

"I just want to be more prepared for when it is." Jaune smiled. "Which is going to happen on Colors Day."

Yang gasped at that. "You mean you'll be able to spar with me?"

"… Maybe I should ask my dad if we can postpone it."

Yang laughed heartily at what she assumed was a joke - he seriously considered it though - and Jaune shared in her laughter. He grabbed another grape and motioned to throw.

Before he could toss it however, Yang held a hand up, signaling for him to wait. She looked around, checking to see if anyone was watching, before she turned back to Jaune with her mouth held open. Really? In the middle of the cafeteria? She wanted him to throw it right in her mouth?

Well, he supposed there was nothing wrong with that.

His toss was a bit off, but Yang hardly had to move to catch the grape. Munching on it quickly, she started talking again: "You know, when you walked into class that one day wearing that onesie of yours, I'd thought to myself 'Gee, doesn't he look like an idiot.' But recently, you've been proving myself – and anyone else who thought that – absolutely and utterly wrong."

Jaune's face flushed lightly at the memory. Yeah, he had been doing exactly that, hadn't he?

"You answer nearly every question, every class, save for a few that are simple enough anyone would know the answer - even those I'm certain you leave for the others." Yang leaned forwards, her expression deadly serious, "I think you know a lot more than you're letting on, so honestly, I think I may have... misjudged you in the past."

Jaune met her lilac eyes, and he could tell that what she said was what she truly felt.

"I... I don't think you're right. You never misjudged me, I think I've just... changed." he countered.

Silence had reign for about a minute, before Jaune's eyes fell on one final purple offence.

Jaune reached out for the grape – the last grape – and prepared to throw it before pausing.

Maybe it was time to test something he'd read about in the book? _Ballistics,_ it had been titled? In an effort to learn more about how he was going to use his weapon, he'd studied it extensively.

Well... the table they sat at was _probably_ one and a half meters wide. The cafeteria had a vaulted ceiling, and Jaune knew from the outside that the rest of Signal was roughly three stories. If he aimed for the roof, slightly closer to Yang than himself... Ah, screw it.

He leaned back, and swung his arm fully, the grape soaring high into the empty space above them. He saw it slow as it reached the peak of its flight, before it started it's descent towards his receiver.

To Jaune's amazement, Yang was prepared for it – and she didn't have to move an inch as it fell right into her mouth with a quiet 'plop'.

They sat there in silence for about half a minute, as Yang finished chewing. Jaune felt like saying anything would completely ruin the moment.

Finished with the grape, Yang finally spoke, "You know something Jaune?"

"What?" She was going to ruin the moment, wasn't she?

"That last throw had a really good _arc._ "

"Oh, come on!"

* * *

 **Hate me later, but I think puns are incredible.**

 **Now, before you go there's something I must mention. It's a word, and it's plural.**

 **It's pairings.**

 **So far, nothing has been confirmed, and it is likely nothing _will_ be until later. If you guys want to suggest pairings, go right ahead - i'll certainly consider all of your opinions. But if you are going to suggest something, please don't freak out if your pairing isn't the one that's represented in this story.**

 **I already kind of have one in mind, but that's subject to change, and you are the one's who can change it. Let me know in a review, or PM me. My inbox is always open. (It cannot be closed... it is also very empty)**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **Updated: February 3/17**_


	4. Holidays

**Hello again! Long time no see! (not).**

 **Words just came pouring out of me this time around. Consider this an early Christmas present from me to all you loyal readers. You guys rock!**

 **Without further ado, the chapter!**

* * *

Jaune leaned over the railing of the ferry, prepared to unload his lunch into the dark water below. His motion-sickness hadn't been an issue when he first got on board the ferry, but once the boat got moving his stomach started churning, and he just couldn't take it. He spat into the water, trying to will himself to vomit.

Of course, it was a classic case of his body doing the opposite of what he wanted it to do; instead of throwing up overboard like he wanted, his body was doing its absolute best to keep the partially digested food inside of him – which made him feel worse. Jaune would rather just get it over with and throw up already.

Jaune looked up at the midday sun, and then he felt a hand on his back. He suddenly spasmed, finally able to release the contents of his stomach. The hand gently rubbed his back as he hurled. It was a comfortable feeling.

Spitting again, Jaune tried to rid his mouth of the acidic taste of his own stomach's contents. He turned, facing the stranger who'd assisted him.

She appeared to be a middle-aged woman, with her crimson hair done up in a high bun. She was appropriately dressed for the weather, bundled up to protect her from the elements. The stranger held out a vial of clear liquid to him.

"Here, take a swig of this, swish it around in your mouth, then spit it overboard. It'll help settle your stomach."

Although Jaune was skeptical being offered something like that from a stranger, he rationed that even being poisoned and potentially dying was worth the risk. He gratefully accepted the offered vial, un-corking it and doing as the red haired woman suggested.

Swishing the contents of the vial around in his mouth, he noted that the cold substance felt unusually hot against the walls of his mouth.

The relief wasn't quite instantaneous, but upon spitting the now cloudy white liquid overboard, Jaune felt much better, "Thank you so much ma'am, it felt like I was dying."

The generous woman chuckled at that, moving to stand next to him, leaning against the railing with crossed arms, "It certainly sounded like ya' were, with all that moaning and groaning." Her accent caught him off guard but she gave him a polite smile as he returned her now partially empty vial.

"Yeah, boats and airships have never really agreed with me." Being prone to motion sickness sucked.

"When you have ta' travel as much as I do, you meet all kinds of people. I've had ta' deal with tons of other sick people before, as well as other problems. I usually have something for them." She tucked the vial into a pouch on her thigh; likely where it had come from in the first place. When she adjusted her coat, Jaune caught a glimpse of the handle of some sort of weapon. Was she a huntress?

Jaune smiled at her "That's really kind of you." He held out a hand to shake. "I'm Jaune Arc."

He figured it wasn't the time to add his usual tirade.

"Sherry," She took his hand, "Sherry Port. You a local, Jaune?"

"Yep," was the curt response Jaune gave, before he continued "born and raised in Vale, living on Patch while I go to school. I'm on my way to visit my family for the Color Holidays."

"I see. What're you studying for?"

Jaune supposed that wasn't too personal a question to answer – besides, Sherry did help him out; the least he could do was make conversation. "I'm in training to be a huntsman, actually. I'm attending Signal Academy."

"Signal Academy." Sherry repeated, testing the name. "That place has quite the reputation, I hear. It's got good instructors; lots of famous alumni too. You planning on going ta' Beacon then?"

"Yeah, that's the plan." Jaune confirmed.

"I hear... good things about Beacon from my husband. Their teaching staff is excellent, it seems. Considering Vale's recent contributions ta' the pool of huntsmen and huntresses across Remnant, it doesn't come as a surprise."

Jaune thought over her words both freshly spoken and earlier, "So you're not from Vale then?" He reasoned.

"No, I hail from Mantle. I met the love of my life here in Vale. His job keeps him tied down though, while mine requires a lot of traveling."

"Are you a huntress?" Jaune asked politely.

"Technically, no. I never graduated from one of the four academies. But I don't _need_ ta' be a huntress. Dead Grimm are dead Grimm, it don't matter who kills them." Sherry explained.

"I see."

The two stood in a companionable silence for a moment, before Sherry pointed out – sounding for all intentions like a pirate: "Land ho! Vale's on the horizon, it shan't be long before we reach the docks. If ya' got a bag stowed, you should go grab it, matey!"

What?

"I didn't hear an 'Ayy Cap'n!'"

Not knowing what to do, Jaune gave a mock salute with a smile, "Ayy Cap'n!"

Sherry chuckled at that "There's a good kid," she stated normally, "Remember ta' have fun every now and then young man. You're at the age where you're going ta' start worrying about every little thing, every minor detail. Take my advice, from one go-getting slayer of Grimm ta' another."

Jaune nodded respectfully, "I'll remember that."

"Good kid." Sherry repeated. "Good kid."

* * *

Crossing the gangplank, Jaune's legs were thankful to be on land once more. Although his stomach had been settled thanks to whatever Sherry had given him, standing on a boat for so long still left his legs feeling strange.

"Just start walking, work it off." he heard Sherry instruct from behind him. Jaune wordlessly agreed, shuffling forward with an awkward gait.

Far enough inland, Jaune bid goodbye to Sherry, the older woman asking him for his scroll ID. Jaune wasn't quite sure why though - they'd only just met. After he complied, he asked her about it and she explained it succinctly:

" _Technically, you owe me one. That medicine wasn't exactly cheap, you know._ "

 _Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet_. Jaune shook his head as he walked along the street. Just this once, he took it back. She wasn't a nice person.

Meandering down the sidewalk, Jaune took a deep breath in through his nose. The air wasn't as clean in the city as it was on Patch, but to Jaune it was refreshing. It smelt like home.

The blond decided to stop at a convenience store and pick up a light snack; he'd been hungry ever since he lost his lunch to the sea. Munching on a cracker he pulled out of the bag he bought, he continued on his path.

The streets were decorated with colorful ribbons and banners, lights glittered in the windows of apartment buildings and stores alike. The Color Holidays were in full swing, and people had every right to be excited.

Not to be confused with the Vytal Festival, the Color Holidays were a celebration of the end of the Revolutionary War. Jaune's grandfather had fought in both the Revolutionary War and the Great War, searching to end the reign of the oppressionist monarchy, crowning the Last King in the former, then to defend the Valean people's freedoms in the latter.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, every kingdom was still ruled by actual monarchs. The king of Vale back then was, by many accounts, not the nicest person.

People celebrated Colors Day – the anniversary of the crowning of Vale's Last King – by giving gifts that inspired creation and individuality: what the Last King fought to protect in the Great War itself. Whether it was something they painted or crafted themselves, or materials the recipient could use. Some people took it literally, and some found interesting workarounds in order to give gifts that lay outside the guidelines. An example would be someone gifting another jewelry, saying it 'would create love' or something like that.

Though that didn't make much sense to Jaune - jewelry could be _expensive_.

Jaune didn't much care for bending the rules like that however. In the Arc household, it was a family tradition to give gifts that were more practical. But with so many family members, the kids have only ever been expected to give a gifts to one of their other siblings. Every sibling only buys one gift for another. This year, Jaune was to provide a gift for his older sister Juncea – he didn't know who was to gift him.

He still hadn't bought her a gift, Jaune noted regrettably. Shopping on Patch was limited to necessities for the most part, so he'd waited until he be in the city to shop.

The only question now was what to get her? She liked cooking... and it was also her _job_ , so maybe a cookbook or something? Or perhaps a new knife?

Jaune pondered this, reading signs as he walked. He took a few more steps before he stopped, turned, and slipped into Tukson's Book Trade.

The bell above the door rang as he entered. Who he assumed was Tukson was standing behind the counter at the back of the store, smiling as Jaune wandered towards the self-help section. He gave the man a wave, smiling back politely. He began browsing. The store's burly owner came to stand next to him - obviously intent on making a sale.

"Hello, welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun. Is there something you're looking for specifically?" the bearded book man asked.

"Well, I need to get my sister a Colors Day present, and she really likes cooking, so I guess I wanted to see if you have any cookbooks," the blond hunter-in-training explained "I see you have _A Touch of Salt and Vinegar_ by Janus Green, but I was wondering if you guys had something a little more..." Jaune made a motion with his hand, as if searching for the right word.

"Sophisticated?" Tukson supplied.

"Sure, let's go with that." Jaune accepted.

"I did just sell my last shelved copy of _Shiro's Book of Masterpiece Recipes._ If you wait a minute, I'll go look in the back and see if I've still got another copy."

"Sure thing."

Tukson disappeared through the door behind the counter, and Jaune continued to scan the shelves, seeing if there was anything else interesting.

Little did Jaune know that the self-help section was right next to a section containing some... more _risque_ literature.

" _Ninjas of Love: Recipe For Desire_? That's an interesting title. I wonder what kind of cookbook it is?" Jaune thought out loud as he flipped through the pages. "There's no pictures though, I don't know how good it will be."

"It's... a good book..." a voice came from right next to him.

"Gah!" was the undignified noise Jaune made – caused by his close proximity to a girl who hadn't been standing there before, "Where did you come from?"

"I-I've been here the whole time." The raven haired teen explained.

The teen – or maybe young adult, Jaune couldn't really tell – wore a black bow on her head, had golden yellow eyes, and wore a white and black outfit that he couldn't really describe. She also had a weapon of some sort sheathed on her back.

 _Is everyone I'm ever meet going to be some kind of fighter_? _Well, Tukson might not be. He seems relatively normal; he owns a bookstore._

The black haired girl fidgeted uncomfortably under Jaune's gaze. Noticing her slightly red cheeks, Jaune returned to the topic at hand – or more specifically, in hand.

"Eheh, sorry about that," Jaune said apologetically, "So, you say this is a good book? I've never seen one without pictures before – that, and it seems to be organized into chapters, not sections."

The girl's light blush deepened, "Well, It's very descriptive. I can understand that some people might need pictures, but the writing is good enough that it gets someone like me who has... no experience... going."

Ah, so it was good for beginners then. Juncea would probably like something like this - she could even lend it to Violet. "I don't have any experience either. I've always wanted to try my hand at it, but sometimes it just seems like it would be too hard, you know?"

"Too... hard?" The girl hid her mouth behind her hands. Her face was almost fully red now. Was she sick or something?

"Yeah. It seems like it would be difficult. But," Jaune put a finger up "If it does get too hard, it just means you'll need to work more. Because the harder it is, the more you have to work, the more you work, the more you get out of it right?" At least, that's what Juncea said.

' _Cooking is more complicated than you know, Jaune_.'

The girl looked like she was incapable of speaking. Was she okay? She seemed to be shivering.

Tukson chose that moment to come out the back, and called out "Hey kid! I found another copy!"

"Oh, nice!" Jaune started over towards the counter, before turning back to the girl with the bow. "Hey, thanks for the recommendation."

The black haired girl did not respond, apparently more interested in the blank section of the wall that was in front of her.

* * *

Having paid for the two books, Jaune continued on his way home, following the winding streets of Vale. The city was a big place – he'd even considered getting a cab, but decided against it. If he spent money on a cab, he probably wouldn't have been able to afford the two books in the first place.

Night blanketed Vale by the time he found himself at the front door of the place he'd lived for the majority of his life.

The place Jaune Arc knew as home.

The Arc household was a fairly big place – it had to be, considering that at one point there was ten people living in it. Wrapped with lights and ribbon, it's normally off-white exterior was decorated with vibrant colors. Just like the other years, his mother and younger sisters seemed to have overdone it. Not that he particularly minded.

Jaune, rather than letting himself in, decided to ring the doorbell, just to see who'd come answer it.

He _wasn_ 't surprised that Lily – the triplet that was the youngest of all seven sisters– was the one to open the door.

He was surprised at how tall she'd grown.

"It's Jaune!" Lily shouted, as she jumped out the door to hug him. He had to make sure to catch her, if only to make sure that she didn't end up in the snow.

Jaune let out a hearty laugh as he carried her inside, somehow able to hold her in one arm despite her being almost as tall as he was now. "Miss me much Lily?" He let her down, ruffling her black hair. She pouted; Jaune knew she hated when he did that.

"Not anymore." she exclaimed.

Jaune faked hurt, placing his free hand over his heart and gasping, the bag of books still clutched in the other. "How could you Lily? I thought we were friends."

"We're not friends... we're family." Lily said matter-of-factly.

Jaune chuckled, and ruffled her hair again, despite the indignant 'hey!'

"Jaune!"

He reacted instantly, looking up to meet his mother's silver eyes. Her short cut blonde hair making her look much more youthful than she was – especially for a woman who birthed eight kids.

"Mom!" Jaune exclaimed, gently scooting Lily to the side in order to embrace his mother. "How are you?"

"I am quite well." Mom shivered as a gust blew in from behind Jaune. She moved past him to close the door he'd left open, being unable to close it himself while he'd been carrying Lily.

Jaune whispered in her ear as she passed, " _We need to talk_."

She smiled and nodded as she returned to where she'd stood before, "Did you get my letter?" the underlying message there was ' _Is it about the book?_ '

Jaune nodded in response.

"Good. Sometimes Vale Postal can... be unreliable. Lily, you can go back to playing with your sisters."

"But Jaune's here now." Lily complained.

"Lily, Jaune and mom need to talk about something." Alabaster explained. The tone in her voice was something recognizable; If you didn't do what she said _now_ , you'd be scrubbing dishes for a week. Or three.

Lily took off up the stairs like a Deathstalker had suddenly appeared at her feet.

Alabaster started towards the living room, beckoning Jaune to follow.

Jaune's mother sat in the seat that was usually reserved for the Arc patriarch. Jaune took that to mean that father wasn't home yet, and took her seat – where she'd have sat if he had been home.

The motherly mirth that was in her eyes moments ago was gone, instead replaced with the eyes of someone who had seen almost a decade of combat against the Grimm.

"So, you've read her journal then?" was the icebreaker.

"Not all of it. And it's not really a journal..." Jaune reasoned.

His mother shook her head "It's what she referred to it as; I'm well aware of what's in the book."

"Mom look..." Jaune paused, unsure about what direction to take the conversation. He didn't want to stir up potentially bad memories for his mother; but at the same time, it's been almost thirteen years since his aunt died, according to the letter she sent. She might not ever truly get over it...

But his mother had to talk about it.

Jaune took a deep breath, "What can you tell me about your sister?"

Minutes passed as they sat in silence. Jaune allowed her mother the time – no doubt she was gathering her thoughts; or maybe even psyching herself up to speak.

"My sister," Alabaster Arc finally started, pride in her voice, "was one of a kind. She was always full of energy, but she wasn't spastic – the most calm and collected person I knew. Her mind was always whirring, spinning ideas and analyzing anything she'd observed. She had a strong sense of justice, not willing to stand by and watch people get pushed around. She was a woman of action, and in the end, that's what got her killed."

Jaune remained silent, allowing his mother to continue.

"She got involved in some kind of nefarious plot to destroy Vale or some such nonsense – on the good side of it, mind you. She was never honored for her actions. She couldn't be. at least not publicly. The panic that would set in if people discovered that the people she'd put behind bars had been planning the destruction of Vale from right under their noses... it would have brought upon a collapse."

"A _collapse_?" Jaune quizzed. He was unfamiliar with the term.

"Grimm are attracted to negative emotions. Mass panic would draw even the most passive Grimm – the most intelligent Grimm – to Vale's walls. Those Grimm would then cause even more panic, and before you know it, we'd have Grimm in such numbers they'd be able to scale the walls, simply by climbing upon the backs of one another. That's practically what happened in Mantle during the Great War, and they barely managed to pull though. It's one of the main reasons everyone moved out to Atlas after the Great War; people knew they were safe there."

Jaune shuddered at the thought. He could picture a black sea of death, dotted with red eyes and white bone. He probably couldn't even take a Beowolf – and he had training. What would the civilians have thought?

What would _Lily_ have thought? Actually, no, scratch that - Lily was literally _fearless._ But Yuné, and Mist - the other two triplets?

Jaune didn't want to think about it.

"And then one day, my sister didn't come back from an expedition out into the Valean Grimmlands. No trace, nothing left behind but the shattered pieces of her rifle. Eighteen fully qualified huntsmen and huntresses, me, my team, your father's team, my sister's teammates, as well as the current headmaster of Beacon went searching. Not a trace."

"So you're saying she might still be out there?" Jaune tried to sound hopeful.

His mother shot that down immediately. "No one could possibly survive in the Grimmlands for thirteen years – especially without their weapon. And don't you think she would have come back? She... left behind a family, Jaune. If I was her, I'd have done anything to get back to them."

Regrettably, Jaune saw his mother's point.

"Have you ever... contacted them? Her family I mean."

Jaune's mom shook her head, blonde locks shifting slightly, "Me and my sister never made up after our... fight." Jaune winced, remembering her mentioning that in her letter. "I could easily find them, connect with them, but I've chosen not to..."

The guilt in his mother's voice was obvious, even to him.

They remained in silence for awhile, Jaune not wanting to disturb her mother, and his mother likely unwilling to speak more.

Their silence was disturbed, when they heard the front door open.

"I'm home!" Jaune recognized the voice as that of his father. Forgetting the solemn atmosphere immediately, he leapt out of his seat.

"Dad!" Jaune rounded the corner and resisted the urge to jump his dad in a similar way as to how Lily had greeted him, and instead stopped almost right square in front of him.

"Jaune! How are you, my son?" the bear of a man that was Jaune's father placed a hand on his shoulder.

His dad hadn't changed a bit, Jaune noticed. His blue eyes reflected Jaune's own, excited to see the son who's been gone from home for such a long time. He ran his left hand back through his black hair, pushing the long locks back out of his face. His short moustache was pushed upwards as he grinned, pulling Jaune into a big hug – not that Jaune could resist, even if he wanted to.

Jaune's father's build was much like his own, if only a little more... intense. If Jaune had the lean musculature similar to an athlete, than his father, Aurum Arc, had the build of a true warrior, something obtainable only through vigorous training and countless campaigns against the Grimm. His dad's motto, as Jaune had learned, was 'never stop improving.'

Aurum let Jaune go as he reached behind his back to grab his pole-axe – _Whiplash_ – and hung it on the wall, like one would hang a coat after a long day at work.

"Good." was the reply Jaune gave, noticing the stench of death rolling off his father, as well as the light spatter of blood on his blue long-coat. "You were out on a mission?"

"Yeah, nothing big – just a patrol in Forever Fall. Ran into a couple Ursa who got too close. They were big ones." he leaned in to whisper to Jaune: " _They didn't make it._ "

Jaune chuckled at his dad's antics, giving him a playful shot in the arm, that Aurum reciprocated. The two of them moved back into the living room, where Jaune's mother waited, now sitting in the seat Jaune had been in previously.

"So, Jaune, how are classes so far this year?" his father questioned, now sitting in his preferred chair.

Jaune had never been more excited to talk about something in his entire life.

"Classes are wonderful. Qrow Branwen is in charge of my class this year." Aurum nodded along, already knowing that. Jaune decided to have a little fun though: "He said it was you that suggested I still had to craft my own weapon."

Jaune's father sighed at that. Jaune having to get his own weapon had been a topic of debate between the two men in the family for quite some time. "Jaune, I've told you time and time again that you won't be able to rely solely on Crocea Mors, I wanted you to get your own weapon for your own go-"

"I submitted my schematics to the forge-master two weeks ago. I'll have my weapon in hand after the break." Jaune interrupted. He couldn't help but smile at the surprised look on his father's face.

He noticed his mother chuckling lightly, trying to hide her amusement from her ultimately unprepared husband.

"Bwah?"

Both Jaune and his mother burst out into laughter at the odd noise his father made.

It was good to be home.

"I made copies, want to see?"

"Of _course_!"

* * *

Jaune had retired to his bedroom for the night after telling his parents about how his year at Signal was going. His father had, after studying the schematics he'd sent to Signal's forgemaster, pointed out one or two flaws with the design, Jaune wincing at his own stupidity. His weapon wasn't going to be perfect, his dad had said, but it would be something else, for sure.

Jaune's room had been practically untouched since he began going to Signal, simply because its only usage was when he'd come back for the holidays each year. As such, a thin, thin layer of dust – not the volatile kind – covered nearly everything.

He put the bag of books on his nightstand, before pulling out the copy of _Ninjas of Love: Recipe For Desire_.

He figured he'd do some light reading before going to sleep, and check it out before he gave it to his sister. Maybe there was a recipe interesting, yet simple enough that he could try it himself? Flipping to the first page, he began reading.

As he got further and further into the first chapter, a blush began to develop on the young blond teen's face. This was _not_ a cookbook. Gods, and that... that girl read this stuff? She wasn't wrong though – it was very... _descriptive_.

He'd blushed even deeper as he recalled the conversation he and the black haired girl had about the book. And about discussing their... _experience_. He'd thought they were talking about _cooking_! Not... not _this_!

No wonder Tukson gave him a weird look when he said he was getting this for his sister as well. No way he was giving this book to his sister. His _older_ sister? No way. Especially not now that he'd read what was contained.

Three hours – and about half the book later – Jaune figured he should probably get some sleep; the whole family was going out tomorrow.

He'd finish the wonderful piece of literature later.

* * *

 **Blake. exe has crashed. Please reboot; Jaune's obliviousness fails him! (again?) I love dramatic irony and misunderstandings; two of my favorite things.**

 **A lot of character introductions this chapter, my apologies. Maybe you guys might get some action next chapter? I'd cross my fingers, but that makes it harder to type.**

 **BIGGER CHAPTERS, HOORAY! From here on out, i'll be making a point of extending the chapter lengths, simply because i myself haven't been satisfied with the length of my own writing.**

 **Whether the next chapter comes out before the new year is unknown. But i'll see you guys soon, I promise! Unless i suffer some kind of life threatening injury or something. Or maybe a broken leg.**

 **Sigh.**

 _ **Updated: February 20/2017**_


	5. An Evolution

**And we're back!**

 **As we get closer to familiar territory, hopefully my writing is going to be less awkward. This chapter was seriously a pain in the ass.**

* * *

Jaune sat cross legged on the cold stone floor of the basement. His father was going through whatever preparations he needed to do for the unlocking of Jaune's Aura.

Colors Day had been going great so far. The exchanging of gifts took place in the morning, and Juncea was quite happy with the cookbook Jaune had gotten for her, claiming she'd been wanting a copy for quite some time, but unable to justify purchasing it for herself.

Jaune couldn't help but be surprised when it was Juncea who was the one to give him his gift as well. He was doubly surprised when the gift hadn't been food related - Juncea baked really good cookies.

He fiddled with the white scarf Juncea had knit for him. It was practical, it was comfortable, and - even if Juncea didn't think so - it was quite fashionable. It was the best possible gift Jaune could have received. And Jaune made sure Juncea knew it. To have committed so much time to knitting him a scarf, when she had a job and numerous other commitments?

After everyone was done exchanging gifts, the whole family went out to the market, which was buzzing with activity due to the nature of the holidays.

Craftsmen of all types were out selling the fruits of their labors: ranging anywhere from artists who were selling their paintings, gunsmiths were selling their own hand-loaded ammunition – expensive, though – and there was even someone selling 'fake' Beowolf mounts.

Obviously they were fake, because Grimm bodies dissipate after their death. Or so Jaune'd been taught - he'd yet to see one in the flesh.

After the girls were done with their shopping – Jaune was still saving his money – the family returned home at around noon. His sisters and mother had stayed on the main floor and above while Jaune and his father retired to the basement.

"Jaune" his dad's voice resounded, as if it was echoing around the small room, "are you prepared?"

It wasn't a question that was asked lightly.

"Yes, father." Was his response.

"Good. Now, in the Arc family – as you know – our Aura isn't unlocked at a young age, like many other hunter-born children." Aurum Arc paced a small path in front of where Jaune sat. "Have I ever told you why?"

It was a rhetorical question in a way; Jaune had asked multiple times, only to receive vague responses and promises of being told when he was older.

Apparently, now he was older.

At Jaune's silence, his father continued "Long ago, before the Arc name even existed, before even the kingdoms, there was Aura. Aura is a projection of our souls, our spirit given form - possessed by every living thing. But how did we learn how to harness our inner power?

"Truth is, we still don't really know. There were few individuals who had been able to activate their own Aura. But 'legend' says that the 'Mother' discovered how to use her own Aura to unlock that of others. However, it is not just legend; we of Arc blood are descended from one of the few the Mother had touched with her own hand."

Jaune's father stopped to stand directly in front of him before continuing.

"You are never to repeat this chant, unless you are unlocking the Aura of our own blood, understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then we will begin. Close your eyes son."

Jaune did so, and he felt his father's hand on his head.

" _By the blessed be that we stand through the fire, we are more than what we are meant to be; stand by us, elevated above by hands our own, and with the power you hold, protect us all."_

Jaune could feel it as soon as the last word was spoken. It was impossible to explain, but he could _feel it_ ; There was a fire in his veins. He was... different. Stronger.

"Rise, Jaune Arc, son of mine." Jaune did so, opening his eyes as he reached his full height.

"How do you feel?" his father quizzed.

Jaune stood still for a moment, not able to quite able to express how he felt. He gave his arms and legs an experimental stretch.

"I feel… _good_." It was the only word he could use.

"Alright. Now then, are you ready to go?"

Go where?

The look on Jaune's face must have betrayed his thoughts, for his dad held Crocea Mors out to him, handle first for Jaune to grab.

"We're going _hunting_."

* * *

The young Arc strode through the woods, scanning the rust toned treetops of the Forever Fall forest, wary of any Grimm that may be using the leaves to conceal themselves.

Despite its name, it wasn't as if the forest was perpetually stuck in the autumn season; the air was still bitingly cold, even though Jaune was clothed to protect against the elements. A blanket of snow sat in a light layer on the forest floor, the rest of it having collected amongst the branches above.

Jaune knew his father was following him, the telltale crunch of boots compacting snow behind him. The older man had decided to allow Jaune to lead in his first 'hunt'.

'Hunt,' because they wouldn't really be searching for the Grimm. They were deep enough in Forever Fall that the Grimm would be able to find them quickly. That, or the two men would simply stumble upon their prey.

They were airdropped by Bullhead into the forest – perks of Aurum being a fully qualified huntsman – and Jaune had learned two things:

One, whether it was a result of having his Aura unlocked or if it was the strange potion Sherry had given him on the boat, he hadn't felt the urge to throw up. His stomach hadn't felt unsettled at all, despite the lurching of the airship. His motion sickness was apparently cured.

Two, that he needed to develop a 'landing strategy' as soon as possible, if he ever wanted to come off as somewhat competent. After being pushed out the Bullhead by his father, he'd fell right into a treetop, and wound up suspended among the branches.

His dad had a laugh at Jaune's expense; however, Jaune himself had found it a little less amusing.

The duo patrolled the woods for a short time after, hoping to come across a Beowolf that had strayed from its pack, or maybe a lone Boarbatusk. Perhaps it was strange, but they hadn't run into any Grimm yet, even as deep in the woods that they were.

Jaune pushed past a few more trees and into a clearing, and came to a stop.

In roughly the center of the clearing, there was a very large Ursa, white boney plate covering vital areas.

" _Ah, the mighty Ursa,_ " Aurum came forward to stand beside him, whispering " _I suppose it is fitting that your first kill mirrors my own._ "

Jaune wasn't afraid, but he was apprehensive about fighting the Ursa. It was pretty big, and he knew it could probably cleave him in two. Or maybe into thirds.

If he didn't have his Aura, that would certainly be the case.

But he was a different person now. Gone was the Jaune Arc who was kept out of higher level spars because it was too dangerous, or who had doubts about whether he could take a single Beowolf.

Jaune took small steps forward, sheath now attached to his forearm in preparation for battle. The sheath slid out into its shield-like form with a metallic clang that drew the attention of the Ursa. The Grimm turned, disturbed by the noise.

The giant bear Grimm regarded Jaune with but a tilt of its head.

The blonde slid Crocea Mors out, giving it a twirl – a bad habit he'd acquired while using the practice weapons at Signal – and confidentially proceeded forward, shivering not in fear, or because of the cold:

Jaune was shivering with excitement, eager to do battle with the Ursa.

The Ursa hadn't given out a roar before charging into battle, or anything romantic like that. The bear instead took a similar approach; sauntering forward as it prepared to fight the small human.

Jaune tapped Crocea Mors against his shield, assuming a ready stance while shuffling forward with even smaller steps. He knew not to do anything foolish like charge towards the beast – especially when he was ankle deep in snow. Tripping over a rock would be unfortunate - people would be laughing at his tombstone for years.

In his peripheral, Jaune could see his father also stalking closer to the Ursa, likely prepared to execute it if Jaune got in a rough spot.

The Ursa got in range, and with an agility that would be unexpected of such a large animal, swung its left paw down towards Jaune.

Having kept an eye on the Ursa's center, Jaune saw the swing coming a mile away. He dodged to the right, now on the Ursa's backhand. He jabbed his sword towards the over extended arm, hoping to cripple the limb early.

He drew the blade back before be could score a hit however, having to step back in order to lesson the impact of the Ursa swiping towards him with its right this time.

Despite taking the hit on his shield, the force of the blow had still been enough to spin Jaune so that his back was towards the Ursa. Rather than trying to turn back around, Jaune's instinctively rolled forwards. He heard the teeth of the Ursa chomp in the open air behind him, some distance now between him and the bear Grimm.

Aura or not, didn't want to give the massive Grimm any free shots.

As Jaune turned, the Ursa attempted another overhead swing, this time with its right – the perfect setup for a counter.

Jaune stepped well inside the Ursa's reach, shield raised to catch the paw as came down on him. His proximity to the beast lessened the power of the blow as it forced him down to one knee, instead of crushing him outright.

Then the Ursa made a big mistake. It began to raise the same paw, hoping to deal another blow to the knight. Jaune did not let it, however. He rushed forwards – even closer to the beast, well inside its reach – and slashed across its thigh as he passed it, wary of the spines protruding from its back.

The great black bear fell to a knee, much like Jaune did nary a moment ago. Unlike Jaune, however, it could not stand back up, the wound dealt to its leg crippling it.

Unable to turn and face the blonde that was supposed to be its prey, the Ursa received another grievous wound; this time, its remaining good leg was stabbed from behind at the knee, rendering both legs practically useless.

Jaune Arc circled around, and stood before the Grimm yet again. Unable to use its legs, the Ursa haphazardly swung a paw, trying to at least get a single good hit in. Jaune retreated, allowing the paw to pass through empty space.

The practically helpless bear Grimm let out a final roar of defiance as Crocea Mors made its way into its mouth and out the back of its skull.

Jaune pulled the blade free and the now dead Grimm began to slowly dissipate. He stood in silence, glad that the fight – though short lived – was over.

Jaune didn't react when his father's hand fell on his shoulder, instead continuing to stare as the body dispersed in ebon flakes, like the black ashes of a long dead fire.

"Jaune." His father shook him. "Jaune!"

He turned to his father, but Aurum Arc's eyes weren't shining with pride like Jaune had expected. Instead, they almost looked angry.

Instantly, Jaune was scared. "What is it dad?"

His father's face relaxed slightly, sighing. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

This prompted Jaune to look around, and he noticed that there were five other dissipating corpses aside from the Ursa he'd just killed.

Oh.

"Now," Jaune refocused his attention on his father, now paying rapt attention "I _am_ proud of you, don't get me wrong; you took down a nearly fully-grown Ursa Major by yourself." Jaune's eyes bulged at that. _That had been an Ursa Major_?

"However…" his father continued. "if I hadn't been here, the Minors that were attracted to your fight could have easily made you into a stain on the forest floor." Jaune winced, but swallowed his pride and nodded in response.

His father patted his shoulder, "Don't get tunnel vision during a fight Jaune. Always be aware of your surroundings."

"Understood." Jaune said with a conviction that reassured he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Good. Now let's see how many more we can kill before the sun sets." Aurum announced happily, hoisting his axe Whiplash over his shoulder.

Jaune paled.

They weren't done yet?

* * *

Jaune fell back onto his bed in a heap after returning from the day's hunt. He promised himself to shower in the morning, because at that moment, he felt as if he wasn't going to be able to get back up.

He'd thought having his Aura would make him neigh invincible. Apparently the point of their first 'hunt' together was to teach Jaune that was absolutely not the case.

Before they'd been picked up, Jaune had killed four more Ursa – Minors, not Majors – thirteen Beowolves, and one Boarbatusk. His father had killed countless more of each type, as well as the alpha Beowolf that had led the one pack of wolf Grimm.

In contrast to his fight with the Ursa, it was Jaune that kept the Beowolves from assisting their 'leader'. Although he knew his dad could easily handle it, Jaune felt he had to take responsibility considering what occurred earlier.

Jaune came back dead tired and sweaty while his father came back looking like he could have gone on for days. He'd barely had the energy to make it up the stairs to his room, never mind fight more Grimm.

He doubted he even had the energy to even finish the last couple chapters of _Ninjas of Love._

Jaune sighed as he slid Crocea Mors and its sheath off his arm. He'd worn it on his arm the whole time since the first encounter, unwilling to simply clip it on his belt lest he need the protection immediately. He rested the ancestral blade against his nightstand, and pulled his blanket up. He wasn't even going to bother changing into his sleepwear.

His head hit the pillow, and he was asleep instantly.

It felt as if he hadn't gotten any sleep at all when he was woken up early the next day – before the sun had yet to rise – by his father.

Thirty minutes later, Jaune was on a Bullhead, being taken out over Forever Fall once more.

This time, his father had leapt out the Bullhead first, and Jaune after him. Thinking quickly, he stabbed Crocea Mors in the very same tree he'd been caught in the previous day, slowing his descent into a more comfortable landing.

The hunt went much like the last, if only longer due to the early start. There was a lot of walking, and a lot of Grimm.

Jaune was able to get more kills under his belt, his father leaving a majority of the fighting to him. In fact, his father only helped when he was forced to assist Jaune in a fight with a King Taijitu – Jaune took more than a few shots from the versatile Grimm.

After they got back home, Aurum warned Jaune: If he hadn't been blessed with such an impressive Aura, he'd quite possibly have died to the twin headed snake.

Jaune took the words to heart, and promised his father to be more careful in the future.

More nights passed, and they went on a hunt every morning. Jaune's father wanted to take the opportunity to net Jaune as much experience fighting the Grimm as he could before he had to get back to Signal.

On the last day before he had to return to Patch, Jaune went to return Crocea Mors to his dad, only to be denied.

"The blade is yours now, Jaune; clearly I don't need it anymore, now do I?"

Now, Jaune stood at the bow of the ferry on the way back to Patch. Crocea Mors strapped to his forearm – he didn't even bother keeping it at his waist anymore – he tugged his scarf up to cover the bottom half of his face, warding off the cold, but also hiding the grin that grew on his face.

He couldn't wait to get back to Signal.

* * *

Jaune walked down Signal's empty halls with purpose.

After coming back from the holidays, the blonde had spent a couple days stuck in his apartment. The blizzard that wracked Patch the day after his return kept everyone in their homes, and delayed the start of classes.

Jaune was glad for the downtime. It was the first true rest he'd had since the beginning of the holidays, considering his father's hunting trips and being around his overly energetic - yet loveable – sisters.

Jaune had woken up at three in the morning. Seeing as it was no longer snowing, Jaune did the shoveling that was required of him, the landlady ever thankful for his help. Finished with that, he'd made the long trek through the almost knee deep snow on the way to Signal.

Jaune had arrived almost two hours before classes would start, but that had been intended.

It was time to see the forge-master and receive his new weapon.

He passed through the door frame that led to the forge. There was a traditional smithy-type forge tucked away into the back corner, made for working metal into various shapes. The majority of the room, however, was devoted to a very long workbench, made for finer detailing and other precise work.

Currently sitting at the workbench was a short girl wearing a long red cloak. Jaune found it odd that someone other than himself was at school so early on the first day back.

It made sense if she was an assistant or something, but the way she dressed implied otherwise. Was it possible she was just doing maintenance on her own weapon?

Jaune didn't want to bother the girl. However, he noticed he had no choice but to disturb her, for the forge-master was nowhere in sight.

Jaune stalked around the workbench, carefully moving to get in the girls field of view – startling her while she worked on something sharp or even explosive wasn't a good idea. He'd have called out to her, but her headphones were on, music blaring. It was likely that attempting to communicate vocally would yield no results.

Jaune stood there patiently as she fiddled with a small screwdriver, working on what appeared to be a rifle. Specifically, it was a sniper rifle. It looked way too big for girl's small frame in his opinion, and judging by the size of the barrel, the recoil alone would probably be enough to send her flying.

But he could tell it was hers. The piece of machinery was obviously well maintained, and it was painted red in a similar shade to her cloak.

Jaune simply stood there, oddly content as he watched the young girl work on her weapon. Checking it over for any damage and repairs that needed to be made, Jaune could tell she knew it inside and out.

Just when he thought she was done, she did _something -_ maybe she flipped a switch or pressed a button? - and the weapon extended into a scythe. Jaune stood there in silent awe, as she continued to make slight adjustments.

Okay, that was pretty wicked.

Jaune continued watching as she sharpened the curved blade, before he felt someone tap his shoulder and turned to face the one who broke his trance.

Ginger Ciara, the forge-master, stood behind him, a knowing smile on her brown-toned face.

She beckoned with a wave of her hand, a finger pressed in front of her lips – the universal signals for _'follow_ ' and ' _quiet_ '. Prompting him to follow. Jaune gave one last look to the girl with the scythe/sniper rifle hybrid.

No doubt she would be a force to be reckoned with – if she grew enough to use the weapon efficiently.

Now well away from the scythe wielder, the forge-master nodded towards the girl "You know, she made that herself." Her tone was serious, in contrast to how excitable the forge-master usually was.

"Don't ' _all students at Signal make their own weapons_?' or something like that?" Jaune echoed the words of the staff. "What makes her so different?"

The forge-master shook her head, a smile on her face, "That's not quite what I meant. She didn't ask for my help even once. I only provided her with the materials she requested. That weapon is a masterpiece of her own making."

...

"That's pretty incredible, actually." Jaune had to admit. Weapon crafting was very complex – he'd decided to leave it to a professional himself, despite what he learned from his aunt's journal.

And for this girl to have made something so... _deadly..._ at their age. There was clearly more to her than what met the eye.

"I agree. I've even asked her for her opinion when I first started work on your weapon. Speaking of…" the pair walked into another room situated in the back – storage for completed and abandoned projects alike. A bulge was concealed by a cloth sitting on a table, and Jaune could only assume it was his weapon underneath.

Miss Ciara practically hopped around the table, moving to stand opposite Jaune. The forge-master giddily pulled the cloth away, revealing 'their' creation.

Despite the fact that Jaune had designed it, seeing it in the flesh as opposed to what he'd put on paper took his breath away.

The steel had yet to be painted, each individual part different shades due to their materials. Smaller pieces like screws were a dark black, while the base metal was still a light grey. Jaune reached out to grab it, before pausing. He glanced up at Miss Ciara, silently asking for permission.

She nodded her consent.

Taking the grip in his hand, he balanced the awkward pistol-like gun, its twin equidistant barrels pointing upwards. With a flick of his wrist and the press of the button, the bottom, larger barrel extended, dragging the weight of the gun forwards, while sending a stock backwards into his shoulder. This disrupted the balance so that he had to grip the gun in both hands. He sighted down it, imagining the head of a Beowolf between it's irons.

"Satisfied?" the forge-master asked almost haughtily, already knowing Jaune's answer.

Jaune nodded dumbly, examining the gun more thoroughly. He pulled back the slide of the top 'half' of his weapon and then released it with a satisfying click. He then pulled back the bolt of the bottom 'half', then released it. Unlike its sibling, the chamber remained open until he put the bolt back in place.

His weapon was a hybrid like many other weapons, although it was an oddity. Unlike Yang's shotgun gauntlets or the red cloaked girl's sniper scythe, Jaune's weapon was simply a combination of firearms: a semi-automatic pistol, and a bolt action extendable sniper rifle. The rifle could also be fired in its non-extended form, although that was way less accurate.

The forge-master handed him a magazine for the pistol – there wasn't one for the rifle. Jaune opted to leave the rifle as a single shot he'd load individually, so as not to upset the weapon's balance. Loading the full magazine into the weapon's only mag well, he brought the rifle to bear once more, now properly balanced.

"I used the leftover funds to procure some extra ammo for you." Miss Ciara added, grabbing two ammo boxes – two types for both the pistol and the rifle rounds. "Two extra mags, too." she stacked them on top of the ammo crates.

"I can't thank you enough for this." Jaune offered.

"It's my job, Mr. Arc. You don't need to thank me… although I appreciate the thought. Besides, it's not every day I get to work on something so wonderfully complex."

Jaune nodded, accepting Miss Ciara's slightly flawed logic. Well, if she liked making weapons that much...

Ginger Ciara's eyes lit up and a smile grew on her face, "Say, you've got plenty of time before classes start. Come with me."

The forge-master walked back out into the main room. "Ruby!" she called, and the girls head snapped up, headphones coming off. So she definitely would have heard him if he'd said something!

Ruby's silver eyes switched targets, moving from the forge-master's to Jaune's. The girls cheeks grew red like her namesake upon making eye contact with the boy.

"Take Jaune here out to the range – he's got a new weapon to test out."

The girl smiled nervously, giving a stuttered "O-okay!" while folding her scythe into a more compact form.

So her weapon had _three_ modes? Interesting.

Miss Ciara nudged Jaune forwards. The blonde boy cleared his throat, before offering Ruby a hand. "The name's Jaune Arc. It's short-" the sound of Miss Ciara smacking her head cut Jaune off as he was about to continue.

The silver eyes girl tilted her head quizzically, blush still adorning her cheeks, not letting go of his hand. "It's short?"

Jaune sighed, "Yeah sure, let's just go with that." When was he going to get a chance to use that line again?

The black – and red? – haired girl gave a light laugh at that "I'm Ruby."

"Good to meet you, Ruby." they finished shaking hands.

The blonde knight and the red reaper bid their goodbyes to the forge-master before heading down the hall towards where the shooting range was.

"S-so," Ruby started "Does she have a name?"

"Who?" Jaune asked awkwardly. That was a weird conversation starter if he'd ever heard one.

"Your weapon." the girl declared, as if it was obvious.

Jaune hummed at that "You know, she doesn't actually have a name yet." He supposed it was respectful to refer to his weapon as a female like Ruby had – It also helped that it just felt _right_. "When I was designing her, I only ever thought of my weapon as a project."

"So she doesn't have a name then..." The girl sounded despondent.

"Not yet." Jaune provided, implying he'd been thinking of one.

"I see." The girl's cheerful manner recovered quickly.

They continued their walk in silence, Jaune now invested in thinking up a good name for his weapon. Crocea Mors had a name, though he didn't know what it meant himself. He was sure he'd asked his dad when he was younger, but Jaune couldn't remember.

Ruby decided to break the silence once again.

"You know, it's really hard to think of a good name without having fought with your weapon before." she noted.

"I suppose you're right," Jaune sighed.

A moment passed as they continued walking, the silence growing even more awkward the longer it went on. Then Jaune thought to ask "How about you? Does your weapon have a name?"

The girl's straight face broke into a smile suddenly – apparently it had been the right question to ask. She whipped out her scythe, allowing it to extend into its full form before hugging it affectionately.

"This is Crescent Rose. She's my _baby_." Ruby cooed cutely, caressing the smooth metal.

Jaune found her treatment of her weapon kind of strange, but chalked it up to the sniper-scythe literally being her baby – at least a year of work had obviously gone into creating it.

"Yeah, me and Miss Ciara were talking. She's quite impressive." Jaune complimented.

"Oh stop it, you'll make her blush." Ruby commented, starting to blush lightly herself as she giggled.

"I don't think your scythe can get anymore red." Jaune pointed out in a teasing tone.

"Ha ha." She faked laughter "That's pretty funny Jaune. You'd get along well with my sister, I'm sure. Anyways, here we are."

The two of them walked through the double door entrance of Signal's shooting range. Surprisingly, there was someone already there – better yet, it was someone Jaune recognized.

Jaune turned to Ruby with a playful grin on his face, signaling for her be quiet. Without waiting for a response, he proceeded.

The young blonde started to sneak up on his equally blonde female friend – the later occupied with sending shotgun blasts down range. Whether Yang was testing modifications she'd made to her gauntlets or just simply having some fun Jaune wasn't sure.

He was about to tap her shoulder, when suddenly Ruby – the _traitor_ – called out "Yang!"

Yang got out of her fighting stance, and turned. Unfortunately for Jaune, that meant that instead of tapping her shoulder, his hands were suspiciously close to Yang's chest. Whether it was reflexive or not, Jaune suddenly ended up with a gauntlet in the gut, propelled with the assistance of a shot shell into the wall behind him.

Still recovering from the sudden contact, Yang rushed forward and pressed Jaune up against the wall _hard_.

Their eyes met, and Jaune noticed them quickly change shades. They went from a dark red to their normal lilac – or maybe he'd just imagined it? Regardless, the girl hit like a bloody Ursa.

Yang released him immediately "Oh, hey Jaune."

Really? That was it? "Oh hey yourself, you almost put me through a wall!" A brick wall, Jaune didn't add.

Yang was about to go off on a rant when the red hooded girl came running up to them.

"Yang! Please stop trying to kill my friends." the traitorous girl came up to where the two were standing.

"Ruby!" The two blondes echoed each other, turning to look at each other once more. "How do you know her?" they asked each other in unison. There was a silence as the three of them exchanged a variety of looks: Yang's curious, Ruby's concerned, and Jaune's confused.

Jaune took the lead "She was taking me here to test out my new weapon. I saw you and tried to sneak up on you." Ruby let out a quiet 'sorry' at that.

"I see. Well, you shouldn't sneak up on someone at the gun range. That's just stupid, especially for someone like you who has... no Aura...?" Yang trailed off as her eyes widened. She looked down at his abdomen – where she'd hit him, full force. There wasn't any damage.

"Told you I'd be getting that fixed on Colors Day, and I did."

"Jaune." Yang's expression was dead serious as she stood straight up at her full height. She moved closer to him.

Jaune moved to back away, only finding that the wall he'd collided with was still behind him. "Uhh, yeah?"

Yang face was barely a few inches from his – considering the height difference, they were very close. She was even close enough that Jaune could feel the warmth of her breath as she exhaled. A broad grin spread across her face.

"We. Are. Going. To. Spar."

Jaune could only whimper in response.

* * *

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	6. Sparring

**Happy New Year, everyone! Super excited to see what 2016 will bring.**

 **New year, new chapter! Now we just have to wait for 2017 for the next one... (That was a joke)**

 **Let me know what you guys think in a review, or PM me. Tell me what you think I can improve, or what you loved; I appreciate criticism of all types.**

 **Also, if you catch any grammatical mistakes, please do let me know. I'm not perfect, so there's a chance I've missed something.**

 **Now, the chapter!**

* * *

"I really don't think this is a good idea Yang." Jaune managed to breathe out, having to jog to catch up to his blonde friend.

"Oh, really? Because I think it's a great idea." Yang chirped back, moving quickly through the halls on the way to their classroom.

The 'great idea' of Yang's actually had some merit, Jaune had to admit. By asking either her father or her uncle - both of them teachers at Signal - to referee the match, not only would the match be Jaune's first official one, but they'd also be able to use one of the few fighting areas Signal had that would allow them to go all out.

Although he figured that was more for Yang's benefit than his own.

"But don't classes start in like an hour? Are we even going to have time?" Jaune tried to persuade her to relent, if only for his own health – which he was very concerned about, if that look Yang had in her eyes earlier meant anything.

The girl stopped and turned "Jaune, are you implying that you'd be able to last an hour in the ring with me?"

Jaune gulped, realizing that he quite possibly just dug his own grave. How should he answer?

"...yes?" the answer came out as more of a question than he wanted.

"Heh, challenge accepted."

"Damn it."

They continued on their way, and Yang turned to Ruby. Managing to walk backwards the excited brawler asked "What do you think Ruby? Do you want to watch me and Jaune fight?"

Ruby – the girl almost forgotten by Jaune, who'd been wrapped up in the whole sparring thing – adopted a thoughtful expression. "Well, I don't know. It seems a bit early for this, and it's the first day back and all..."

 _Thank you, Ruby!_ At least he wasn't the only one with some sense at this school.

"But I also really want to see his weapon in use, so I'm all for it."

 _No! I thought we were friends!_

"See? There's another thing Jaune – you'll be learning! We both know you love learning."

"Yeah, but while I love learning, I don't want to be eating through a straw for the next week, thanks." Jaune joked.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad. They'll stop our match before you run out of Aura, so you'll be fine."

Wait a minute. "Yang, are you trying to say I'll lose?"

"I may have casually mentioned that, yes." was her smug reply.

"Oh that's it, you're on."

The three of them walked into the open classroom. With his head down on his desk, Mr. Branwen looked straight _awful._ What happened to him?

"Hey uncle!" Yang called out, making her way to the front where the desk was. "Still hungover?"

Jaune wasn't sure if he was hearing things, but it sounded like a muffled 'why me?' came from the direction of Mr. Branwen's desk.

His teacher clumsily stood up, bags under his eyes. Never mind awful, he looked _dreadful,_ his hair sticking up everywhere, as opposed to being slicked back like usual. "Hey kiddo, you know how it is for me." he turned to Jaune, squinting as if it was hard for him to see. "Arc. How're things?"

"Good, Mr. Branwen. Are... are you okay?" Jaune felt compelled to ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's always like this for me after the holidays." He quickly downed the glass of water that had been sitting on his desk. "You see Ciara already?"

Jaune pulled his gun from his back, deploying it in full form and holding it out for Mr. Branwen to inspect.

"That's a yes then." Jaune nodded in response. "Good."

"So uncle, I've got a favor to ask-" Yang was silenced as her uncle put one hand on her head and held a finger to his lips.

"Shh. Not so loud," he then pinched the bridge of his nose, likely in an attempt to alleviate the light headache he had, "I already know what you're going to ask, and I've already technically made arrangements."

What? "Really?" Jaune asked, astounded.

"Of course. Qrow Branwen thinks of everything." He sounded overly proud, pointing a thumb towards himself.

"Yeah, too bad you can't think up a decent hangover cure." Yang quipped.

The man sighed at that, slightly depressed "Yeah... you're not wrong."

The teacher then turned his attention to the fourth person in the room. "Ruby. You're done maintenance on Crescent Rose?"

Okay, seriously. Did everyone know this Ruby girl or something?

"Yeah, she's all fixed up after last night. Ginny asked me to take Jaune to the range, but we ran into Yang there, and-"

"And then we came straight here." Yang interrupted, keeping Ruby from mentioning the altercation that happened mere minutes ago.

"I see." The man didn't catch the fact that Yang was clearly withholding information – it made Jaune almost want to call her out on it, but he didn't.

"Yang, Jaune," the two glanced at each other as their teacher called their names. "I have an announcement to make in front of the class – after that, the entire class is going to head to training room two for combat training... where you two will have your match."

"In front of the whole class?" Jaune asked, slightly concerned. Yang looked overly excited.

"Yep, the whole class." the gruff instructor confirmed, "Ruby, tell your dad that you have my explicit permission to skip the first half of classes this morning to watch their fight..." the young girl practically squeed at that "Come to training room two at about... nine?"

"Oh, this is going to be _awesome_!" Ruby disappeared, a swirl of rose petals in her wake.

Woah, she's fast.

The huntsman looked up at the clock on the wall, "So, the both of you have an hour before class officially starts. Do whatever it is that you need to do to prepare for your bout, but be back here on time, please? I already have enough of a headache as is - I do not want to go looking around the school for either of you."

Yang gave her uncle a mock salute, before sauntering over to her desk, sitting in her chair and putting her head down.

Jaune turned to Mr. Branwen, seeking an explanation, and Yang's uncle could only shrug "You know, that just means she's actually taking this seriously. Good for you."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Yeah… you might actually want to take this time to get some practice in with that weapon of yours – If I'm pitting you against Yang, you're going to need all the help you can get."

Jaune nodded along dumbly. "Mr. Branwen, sir?" It never hurt to be respectful with the man, Jaune'd learned "What would you suggest I do? I mean, I don't have much time to get any real practice in."

A rare smile donned the face of the grizzled instructor, "Here's what you should do..."

* * *

Jaune sat impatiently in the bleachers as he watched the rather one-sided fight below. Some kid with a staff was getting beat on by a girl with a machete-like weapon with a blade that retracted and extended to work it's way around blocks.

Training room two was the preferred arena of the graduating class – the arena itself was big enough to simulate actual tournament style combat, and the spectating area had more than enough seats. Typically, first and second year classes would be watching their matches as well, but not today. Today, there was only one student from a second year class watching the match.

Ruby was seated next to Jaune, literally on the edge of her seat as the battle seemed to wind-down to a close.

"Hey, did you see that Jaune?" the energetic girl quizzed quietly.

"See what?"

"The girl with the retractable blade is starting to hesitate," Ruby whispered.

"What? Why? Isn't she winning?" Jaune looked to the screen situated across from the viewer's area. The machete girl's Aura meter was still well in the green, while her opponents was halfway to the red.

Ruby hummed "I don't think so. If anything, the staff guy is going to win."

"What makes you say that? It looks like an uphill battle to me." And did it ever.

"Just give it a moment. The staff guy is about to bring out the big guns – he's been patient, waiting for the right moment to strike. I can tell." The younger girl confirmed.

Jaune returned his attention to the match at hand, keeping an eye on the boy with the staff. Upon closer inspection, the young man on the arena floor didn't look concerned about his predicament at all, instead, he looked incredibly focused while blocking the incoming blows.

The girl went in for an overhand strike, and the boy suddenly sprung into motion. He smacked her blade to the side and pivoted, sending the length of his staff right at her head. The impressive force of the blow sent her flying into the nearby wall. It was a victory by ring out.

"Wow." Jaune had no other words to describe what he'd seen. He glanced to the screen again; the girl's Aura barely had dropped, but she still lost.

Mr. Branwen stepped out from the sidelines, "Well fought, both of you. Agate," Ah, that was the girl's name "You got too careless at the end there – never let your guard down, especially when victory seems certain."

"And you..." the teacher turned to the boy with the staff, who's smug expression quickly evaporated. "You took way too many unnecessary shots there Mr. Birch. If you were fighting in a real tournament, chances are you wouldn't have been able to wait out the assault for the best moment to counter. You need to take every opportunity you can. But keep up the good work."

The boy nodded, and promptly left the arena, chatting with the girl he'd just defeated. Maybe they were friends?

Qrow Branwen cleared his throat, killing the conversation that started in the stands. Referring to his scroll, he then called out "Yang Xiao Long and Jaune Arc, to the floor."

This received a 'whoop' from Jaune's opponent, somewhere else in the spectator area, and she jumped down to the battleground. The murmurs had begun anew, only this time instead of the natural talking between friends, it was the hushed whispers that Jaune had expected.

Jaune had spent his entire time at Signal thus far fighting matches in one of the other training rooms with one of the other classes: one that was intended for simple matches between those who had yet to unlock their Auras. Blunted practice weapons and rubber bullets were all that he had fought with before. Jaune was the only student in the hunter-prep course that hadn't fought in a real match yet.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing people were whispering to each other about. They also took into consideration his opponent; Yang was practically the top of the class, and generally was the favorite to win in any match.

Ruby patted his shoulder – it almost went unfelt against his armor, "Good luck Jaune."

His nerves were starting to catch up to him now; he couldn't help but notice the feeling in his gut. "Thanks, you too." The blonde realized what he said, and then sighed. He took the stairs, sliding Crocea Mors and his shield over his forearm.

"Mr. Arc, please connect your scroll to the network." Mr. Branwen asked upon Jaune's arrival.

Ah, he hadn't done that yet, had he? Jaune brought up the display, sliding through menus and tapping buttons.

His face appeared on the large screen opposite Yang's, and an empty meter began to fill up beneath it. It filled slowly, before stopping just a sliver from being full. Jaune supposed the little missing sliver meant he wasn't fully recovered from the punch Yang had given him at the shooting range.

Jaune turned to his blonde counterpart, who had her mouth agape as she stared at his Aura meter. Yang then caught Jaune's gaze, before smiling, winking, and mouthing something to him. A name?

 _Mary who_?

"Now then, are you both ready?"

Jaune took a deep breath, pulling his gun out from behind his back, and deploying his shield in full form. He then nodded. Yang didn't respond, simply settling into her combat stance.

Mr. Branwen grinned – likely excited for the fight – looking from one blonde to the other, before with absolute authority he shouted: "Begin!"

Yang took off in a dash forwards, trying to close the distance between the two fighters. Jaune weighed his options quickly, and decided to do what he thought was safest; he started firing at her, the first couple shots going wide, and the third being deflected off of one of Yang's gauntlets.

She fired a shell – a slug – in response, and Jaune was forced to catch it on his shield. Unfortunately, the hit staggered him breifly, giving Yang more time to close the gap.

Jaune was prepared though, and he pulled the alternative trigger on his 'pistol'; the very trigger that sent a .50 cal rifle round into Yang's approaching fist.

Both combatants were spun in a circle – Yang from the force of the round itself as her Aura protected her, and Jaune from the recoil of firing the round in the 'pistol' form. With a quick glance to his scroll, the boy couldn't help but notice that his _own_ Aura had dropped when he fired the powerful shot. It was likely that firing his weapon one-handed would have injured him had he not had an Aura.

Being in such proximity to Yang, there was no way he was going to be able to load another shot immediately, so instead he tried to retreat, taking heavy blows against his shield as he returned his gun to the small of his back.

With a mighty shove of his shield, Jaune was able to push Yang back, giving himself enough time to draw Crocea Mors. Sword in hand, Jaune pushed forward against the gauntlet wielding beauty.

Pressing the attack quickly proved to be a terrible idea, as Yang smacked his sword aside when he went in for a horizontal. The brawler got some quality punches in – ones that would have no doubt left Jaune crippled or dead if he hadn't had his Aura.

Now more cautious, Jaune retreated with every blow that connected with his shield. Doing so lessened the impact, and reduced the strain on his body and Aura. Yang went for a drop kick, using her gauntlets to propel her. Jaune jumped, allowing the force of her attack to send him flying, separating the two.

Now that there was distance between them once more, Jaune returned Crocea Mors to its sheath, pulling his gun. He had nine more shots in the magazine, and chances were slim he'd be able to reload. Yang charged him once more, firing shells at him the whole while, perhaps unwilling to let him get shots of his own off.

Jaune didn't hesitate however, strafing while firing with his shield at the ready. He had three shots left now before he'd have to reload, three of the six he'd fired having hit home.

The rounds did nothing to slow Yang's charge, and she closed the gap once more, swinging with a left-cross. The punch had more power than Jaune expected however, and though he stopped it with his shield, his guard broke. Yang got on the inside, and started relentlessly pummeling him with shots to the face and core.

Jaune was unable to bring his shield to bear, nor was he able to back away, the girl pressing forward. Yang's fists were a flurry of bright yellow and red as she continued to beat him down, shots firing all the while. Jaune felt one of his legs give way after about thirty seconds of non-stop punching, and took a fist directly to the face. The powerful blow sent him into the ground, head impacting the floor beneath him. Jaune didn't even feel like getting back up – his _everything_ was sore, despite his Aura protecting him.

"The winner is Yang Xiao Long."

Jaune groaned from his spot on the floor, and he turned his head to look at the screen. His Aura just barely dipped into the red, while Yang's was maybe a quarter below full. It was a crushing defeat.

A gauntleted hand was offered to him, and he accepted it, Yang helping him up. She didn't let go of his hand immediately, as instead she raised his hand in the air. To his surprise, he was met with cheers from the stands.

Were they cheering.. for him?

"That..." Yang started, out of breath, "That was a thing."

Qrow Branwen came out from the sidelines, that same grin on his face – Jaune didn't think the man could smile any more than he already had today.

"Now _that_ was a match." He stated with a pride that was unexpected. "Well done, Yang. Now _Jaune..._ "

"Uh, yes?" Jaune asked, just a little concerned with the tone his teacher had.

Mr. Branwen spoke loudly so that everyone could hear. "For your first match, that was very impressive. However, you need to work on keeping your distance while engaging in ranged combat." Jaune nodded his agreement – that was obvious. "You also need to work on properly _disengaging_ in a melee. If you'd been able to give Yang the slip, the fight could have gone very differently."

Jaune nodded again, "Yes sir."

Reducing his voice to a whisper, so that only Yang and Jaune could hear him, their instructor continued "Both of you need to come see me during the lunch break." The man turned away, referring to the whole class again.

"Now, for the next match..."

Yang and Jaune slipped to the side and began climbing the stairs. At the peak, Ruby was waiting, obviously trying to contain her excitement.

"That was incredible you two!" Jaune could only smile at Ruby's enthusiasm as she willed herself to stay in place – the girl reminded himself of his sister Lily in her mannerisms. "When you countered Yang's punch with that one shot I nearly jumped out of my seat!"

Jaune smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, recalling the moment. He wasn't about to admit that that was purely luck, especially when it apparently had looked so _cool_.

"Hey Jaune," Yang called from beside him, "You know, you didn't even come close to an hour."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He turned to her, but her eyes didn't hold a teasing mirth like Jaune had expected.

"You didn't last an _hour_ , but you still lasted longer than anyone else I've fought at this school. That's saying something."

Jaune felt the blood rush to his cheeks, "You really mean it?"

"I do." Yang stated certainly. "Now then, let's watch the next fight." Yang took a seat on a nearby bench, a free spot next to her. Jaune, ever polite, offered the spot to Ruby, but she declined:

"I actually need to get to class; I was only supposed to watch you guys fight and head back, so I guess I'll see you later Jaune."

"Yeah, see you later Ruby. It was nice to meet you." Jaune grinned, giving her a little wave.

Jaune watched her as she left the room while taking a seat next to Yang. "She seems nice."

"Only _seems_ nice?" Yang asked, her voice taking a dangerous tone.

Jaune gulped, "Uhh... no?" Yang turned to Jaune, a threatening look in her eye. "Y-yes?"

She continued to stare, before Jaune sighed, placing his head in his hands, to which Yang gave a light chuckle.

"How do you know Ruby, Yang?" Jaune asked, attempting to divert her ire.

"She's my sister."

"Oh."

Wait, what?

"You know..." Jaune supplied "Suddenly things make a lot more sense."

"Like what?" Yang questioned.

"Earlier, I saw her doing maintenance on her scythe; Your uncle uses a scythe."

Yang's face scrunched up in confusion, "Yeah, so?"

"I just thought it was a strange weapon for her to use. It looked a little... unwieldy for her. Like the recoil would kick her ass."

"Oh, just wait until you see her use it in person." Yang commented mirthfully.

The two remained in silence after that, content with each other's company as they watched the next fight begin.

* * *

Jaune and Yang stood in front of her Uncle Qrow's desk as they awaited whatever the old man had to say.

Yang was curious as to why they'd been asked to report to him during the lunch break - she was _hungry_ , damn it! - but she chalked it up to being something that had happened during the duo's fight.

What a _fight_ it had been. Jaune had caught her completely unprepared, and he continued to fight with something she simply hadn't seen in anyone else.

Jaune had lasted longer than anyone before him in a match with her, and it wasn't just because of the _massive_ amount of Aura he had. Did he even notice how long it took his bar to fill? And the fact that her punch from earlier barely had an effect on his levels?

It wasn't just his Aura that had impressed her; he took fighting her seriously – something others regrettably never do. Most of the others in their class simply knew they wouldn't be able to defeat her: she was ranked top of their class for a reason.

But Jaune didn't care about that when he fought her. He knew he was probably going to lose, but he still went all out against her.

And was something that could earn Yang's respect.

"Yang, Jaune. You remember the announcement I made before the fights earlier?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Yang noticed Jaune nod, and decided to let him answer. "You said you'd be going out on a mission, and that you were going to have someone substitute for you, right?"

Her uncle nodded "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about." Qrow turned to Yang, "No, I'm not going to ask you to be on your best behavior or anything like that."

Yang huffed indignantly. Who did he think she was?

"No, what I'm asking you both is something else – something very important."

Her uncle paused for dramatic effect, and tented his fingers on his desk. Gods, she hated it when he did that.

"I want you to come with me on my mission. Both of you."

Yang narrowed her eyes, skeptical of what her uncle's motive was; sure, she could understand herself being asked along, but Jaune? She was about to ask him herself, but Jaune struck first:

"What?" the blonde boy asked, obviously confused.

"You heard me. I already have permission from Signal's director, as well as parental approval." Her uncle took a sip of water – obviously a replacement for his liquor, a placebo – before continuing "All I need is for the two of you to agree, and we can head out tomorrow."

"But we just got back to class today." Yang mentioned, although not argumentatively. As long as she wasn't stuck in the classroom being taught by someone who wasn't her Uncle Qrow, she'd was fine with anything.

Her uncle didn't dignify that with a response, as he knew – the cocky old man – that she'd already practically agreed. Instead, his focus was on her classmate and friend, Jaune.

Having him along for the ride would make things a lot more fun, that's for sure.

"What would we be doing?" he asked, blue eyes inquisitive.

Qrow smiled - the _smile_ he had when he knew he was getting what he wanted, Yang noticed - as he responded. "Heading up to Atlas. Officially, it's protective detail, but I need to do some investigating of my own, so it would be beneficial to have back-up."

Atlas, in the dead of winter? Yang noticed Jaune shiver as he probably thought the same thing.

Yang worded the question that was likely on both of their minds, for Jaune's sake, "Why us?"

Qrow's brutally honest answer was: "Because it's cheaper to take two students from my own class than it is to hire additional help."

Yang sighed. Had she really expected anything different?

"You guys could use the learning experience too."

Arguably, that was a good reason.

"Will we be paid?"

Jaune's question surprised her.

"Yeah, same as if you had actually taken a mission." Qrow confirmed

"I'll do it then." Jaune confirmed.

"Alright," Yang smiled, glad that it wasn't just going to be her and her uncle. "You two are dismissed from classes for the rest of the day. Go home, pack your things, and meet me at the Patch airfield tomorrow at ten. Don't be late."

Yang couldn't wait, and for some reason she knew; Jaune couldn't wait either.

* * *

 **I can't wait to get the next chapter rolling. I'd wager I'm even more excited than you guys, and I know exactly whats going to happen!**

 **'Till next time!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	7. The Lab

**Hey guys! I figured I would grace all you lesser beings with my presence once again! Bwhahaha. Ha. Ha..**

 **Just kidding though. Here's the next chapter. I wanted to get this out before classes started back up today, and it looks like that's what's happening.**

 **Thank you all for your support. Just remember, if you're reading my story and you notice something... _wrong_... please point it out to me. It helps so much.**

 **Almost forgot the line breaks again, but without further ado, read on my pretties.**

* * *

Jaune glanced back and forth between Yang and Qrow, the two currently engaged in a fierce battle of wills; eyes locked, unblinking.

The tagalong had no idea what was going on. He'd left their private cabin on the passenger airship to find a washroom in order to relieve himself, and came back – after a little exploring, of course – to find the two staring at each other, some unspoken argument occurring. Unsure of what was happening and unwilling to interrupt, Jaune instead opted to take a seat in one of the chairs to the side, watching either party to see if he could find any weaknesses.

 _Qrow_. It was weird for Jaune to refer to his teacher by his first name. The middle-aged huntsman had requested that Jaune call him Qrow for the duration of the mission. When Jaune asked him why, his teacher gave numerous reasons, and each of them were sensible.

He'd been watching the man for nearly three minutes, and it was as if Qrow was frozen completely solid, his face not showing any noticeable emotion.

Yang, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling. It looked like she was getting angrier with each passing second – so much that she was practically shaking.

Finally, after a minute of watching Yang's face pass through various degrees of frustration, the blonde girl blinked, and then growled.

"Ha, I win." Qrow stated happily.

…were these two serious?

Jaune sighed, the light noise drawing the attention of the two who apparently decided to start a _staring contest_ while he was gone.

"Jaune, you're back!" Yang half-exclaimed happily. "How long were you sitting there?"

"I don't know, probably... six minutes?" Jaune guessed.

"So..." Qrow looked to a stopwatch he had been holding, "You took twenty minutes to go to the restroom?"

"No I took a look around the ship." It was a pretty big airship... _wait a minute_. "Did you guys start as soon as I left?" he asked doubtfully.

Yang nodded. "It's a six hour flight to Atlas. If me and my uncle can burn a half an hour in a staring contest, than that makes it only five and a half hours left to fill."

Jaune wasn't sure if he should be disturbed or impressed, so instead he settled for both.

"Qrow, I have a question." Jaune turned, attempting to avoid the pointedly bizarre.

"Shoot."

"I know we're going to Atlas, and I know you said our mission was 'protective detail', but what exactly are we going to be doing? Yang and I specifically."

"I'm glad you asked." the huntsman took a seat, gesturing for Yang to do the same. The girl took the chair next to Jaune.

"As you might have heard, the Schnee Quarry was the target of a White Fang terrorist attack weeks ago." The two teens nodded in response. "Although the news doesn't highlight it, it isn't the only White Fang activity as of late, most of it targeting high priority SDC targets. The Fang's been getting increasingly more active, and the Atlas military just can't seem to keep up."

Qrow paused to take a sip from his flask. "Both the Atlas military itself as well as the Schnee Dust Company started hiring outside help for temporary jobs. I was requested – personally – by an old friend to assist in guarding a Schnee laboratory that is a predicted target."

"But why bring us?" Jaune asked.

"I was just getting to that. " Qrow noted, "My friend also wants me to do some digging. He's worried there may be a mole at the lab – A leak, if you would. So, as an outsider, he's trusting me to do some detective work... My friend mentioned hiring others as well, but I... _suggested_ that I might take a student or two along for 'training'."

"Gee, is he as cheap as you are?" Yang asked tauntingly.

Qrow ignored her, "He agreed, stating that he could 'see no problem with it' so here you guys are: your first official mission, and you guys aren't even out of Signal yet. You two should be thanking me."

"Who's your friend?" Jaune asked curiously.

Qrow smirked, "Oh, you know, just General James Ironwood, the Headmaster of Atlas Academy and leader of Atlas's Military."

There was a pause. "No, really." Yang demanded.

"What, you don't think I'm telling the truth?" Qrow said with fake hurt, "I'm offended."

"You know the general?"

"Yeah, fought him during the Vytal Festival – twice actually, once as a first year, then again as a third. He packs a mean punch. We went on a joint mission with his team before too." He smiled to himself "I don't think I'd ever seen Grimm run from someone before."

"Let me know when we're about to meet him." Jaune laughed, "I want to make sure I go to the bathroom beforehand."

"Eh, he's not too bad." Qrow stated encouragingly. "So, Jaune...?"

"Yeah?"

"Staring contest?" the grinning man offered.

The blonde groaned. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Jaune didn't last nearly as long as Yang had, apparently. Shortly after his contest with Qrow, the elder huntsman decided he'd take a nap.

That left Yang and Jaune some time to talk to each other. Jaune talked about his holiday, training with his father, and his family back in Vale. After he'd exhausted that topic, Yang told him about Ruby and her dad, and what they'd done over the holidays.

However, apparently even Yang could grow tired of talking, and decided to take a nap like her uncle. With both his traveling companions passed out, Jaune figured it was probably a good time to get some reading in.

He reached into his bag, past his packed change of clothes, and pulled out two books that were on completely opposite sides of the literature spectrum. His copy of _Ninjas of Love_ – still unfinished – and his aunties journal. He placed the more… _questionable_ material back on top of his bag, because despite his incessant need to finish the book, he felt that reading smut in a room with his teacher and one of two female friends was a bad idea.

Not to mention they were both related to his one other female friend of only one day as well.

The blonde sighed, hoping that he'd at least be able to finish the book at some point during their stay in Atlas.

Jaune flipped the leather backed journal open to where he'd left off last. He'd just finished the section on _Combat Movement_ last night, which he planned on working on the next chance he had. The section covered offensive and defensive positioning, team tactics, and how to properly fight when surrounded or while protecting civilians – things he would certainly need to know in a career as a huntsman.

The next chapter was called _Advanced Dust Technologies_. It was a topic Jaune skimmed through when he'd first got the book, very briefly. Now that he had a better understanding of many of the factors related to it, he felt he'd now better understand the topic in it's entirety.

He flipped past the pages on _Dust Charges_ – it was what he'd picked up from the section the first time he'd looked at it – and instead continued on to _Dust Bullets_.

It wasn't something that was unheard of. Jaune knew about people storing Dust in their weapon's magazines in the form of bullets, being able to use the Dust with the pull of a trigger instead of having to activate it manually with their Aura. He began reading the topic regardless, to see if there was anything else that he could learn.

After scanning through a couple sentences, Jaune realized that what he'd been thinking of wasn't what his aunt had meant by titling the sub-topic _Dust Bullets._ His aunt actually had multiple diagrams drawn up of bullets that were _made_ of Dust. As in Dust projectiles that could be shot long distances, and then activate on impact.

The designs were flawless, from what he could tell – immaculately drawn and labeled with the types of Dust used, their amount, their weight. Bullets that could light things on fire, freeze things solid... The list went on.

There was even a design for a bullet that could – theoretically – disable someone's Aura while not causing any physical damage. That sounded incredibly useful... if it worked.

From what he could tell, the bullets were possible. Just very challenging to make.

Perhaps coincidentally, the designs for the rounds were all .50 caliber. The same as his weapon's rifle component.

He looked at the two other people in the room, who were snoozing. Yang was well on her way to becoming a huntress: she had the skills, she had the ability, the mindset. Qrow was the textbook huntsman, someone Jaune would probably always consider out of his league as far as skills go.

And Ruby? She took down sixty Beowolves by herself out in the woods of Patch, according to Yang; and Ruby was two years younger than him.

His father, and even his mother if she decided to take up her spear again; they were all so far ahead of him in terms of ability. He knew he had to do whatever it took to catch up.

Jaune was sure this would be something he'd be able to use effectively

"Oh, what's this?" he heard a voice say, as the owner's hand reached down to grab the book.

Not the book he was reading currently, which in all honesty, would have probably been more convenient.

" _Ninjas of Love_...?" Qrow teased, flipping through the first couple pages. "I didn't take you for a romantic kind of guy Jaune."

"I-it's not a romance novel."

"What is it then?" the older man asked, eyes narrowed at Jaune over the top of the book.

Sighing, Jaune stated plainly "It's... smut."

Qrow gave a light chuckle, closing the book, "Yeah kid, I already knew that. Wanted to see what kind of stupid excuse you'd have. I'll have you know, I appreciate the honesty - just as long as you don't lend this stuff to either of my nieces." Qrow handed the book back to Jaune. "Oh, and we'll be landing in twenty minutes, so if you could wake Yang that would be great."

The boy scrunched up his face in confusion. He was sure he'd just started reading barely twenty minutes ago. Jaune opened his mouth to contest Qrow, when the intercom buzzed to life above him:

"Attention all passengers, we will be landing in twenty minutes. I repeat, landing in twenty minutes." the effeminate voice stated.

But... but how?

* * *

Jaune sat cross legged on the floor of the Bullhead's cargo bay, waiting patiently for their second flight of the day to end.

After getting off the passenger airship, they were quickly welcomed by an Atlesian officer – a lieutenant, going by how Qrow referred to him as such. The lieutenant took them to another dock, where there was a Bullhead waiting to take them to the lab.

Jaune felt the Bullhead slow slightly – no doubt approaching their destination – and stood abruptly.

Yang, who'd been sitting next to Jaune, asked "What's up?"

"We're almost there." The blonde boy stated.

"How can you tell?"

Timed perfectly with Yang's question, Qrow came out of the cockpit. "Two minutes out, get ready for landing. Once we're off the Bullhead, our mission will begin; I want both of you to stay alert, and be prepared for combat at a moments notice, and remember: keep things professional, got it? Well, at least until it's just us three again."

Jaune nodded, sliding Crocea Mors over his arm and deploying his other weapon in it's full rifle form. After roughly a week of patrolling Forever Fall with his dad, Jaune had gotten used to the combined weight of the sword and shield on his arm for long periods of time. Yang did whatever Yang had to do to prepare, and gave Jaune a quick smile.

The hatch opened, and the cold air quickly filled the previously warm cargo bay. Jaune could see the lab from where they were – it was practically a fortress, it's tall walls dotted by towers at equal intervals, illuminated despite the darkness of night around it. The lab building was half as tall as the walls surrounding it, but Qrow had told them that the majority of the lab was underground. Anti-air dotted the open area between the walls and the lab, prepared to fight off either a flock of Nevermore or a fleet of Dustplanes. All in all, it was quite the impressive looking complex.

"That's the lab?" Yang asked over the roar of the engines and the howling of the wind. The distance between the ground and the tilt-jet shortened as they got closer.

"Must be." Jaune responded, pulling his scarf over his face.

They descended towards the landing pad. The Bullhead hadn't even touched down yet when Qrow hopped out, jogging ahead. Why the man hadn't worn a winter coat like himself and Yang, Jaune didn't know.

Jaune and Yang followed Qrow's lead, landing softly on the concrete beneath them as the Bullhead landed behind them. They quickly caught up to Qrow, who was standing outside a large metal door with the Schnee logo on it. Qrow was tapping away at a panel on the wall next to it, and a voice came out of the intercom above it.

"You know," the distorted voice came through, "I'm tempted to leave you locked out there just because I know you're not wearing a coat."

"Damn it Jimmy, open this door!"

"Sorry, I have no idea who you're talking about."

Qrow scoffed, shivering. "James, you open this door right now, or you're going to have to hire even _more_ people to fix it."

A couple seconds passed in silence, before the door slid open. Qrow was the first one in, still shivering, followed by Yang with Jaune bringing up the rear.

Standing in the middle of the hallway was a middle-aged man in a white military-esque uniform. Jaune could only assume the man was General Ironwood. Jaune would have thought the man unamused at seeing Qrow's plight, if it weren't for the edges of his mouth showing faint signs of a smile.

"Qrow," The man stated plainly – as plain as a man likely used to commanding multitudes of soldiers could, "It's been too long." The big man held out a hand for Jaune's teacher to shake.

"Not long enough if you ask me." Qrow joked in response, taking his hand. "But if the alternative is staying outside, I guess I'll take the better of my two options."

"Yes, quite." The general turned his attention to Yang next, offering her his hand as well. "Miss Xiao Long. It has been even longer since I've last seen you."

"Oh? I wasn't aware we've met before sir." Yang smiled – although Jaune could tell it was half forced.

"Ah, you were very young then. You've certainly changed since." Then, the military man's gaze switched to Jaune.

They stood there in silence for a moment, with Qrow and Yang looking back and forth between the two, before Jaune panicked slightly. He retracted his weapon into its pistol-like form, and switched it to his left hand while extending his right for the general to take "The name's Jaune Arc; It's short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it."

Now if only Jaune could shoot himself in the foot physically as well. He could practically feel Yang's glare burning its way through the side of his head. And Qrow? Jaune didn't even want to know what Qrow was thinking.

Way to keep things professional, Jaune.

But to the three's surprise, Ironwood simply laughed it off, taking Jaune's hand. "Ah, you're definitely your father's son. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Arc." The man turned, but not before giving Jaune's weapon a curious glance. "If the three of you could follow me please, I'll take you to your quarters."

The general started down the hall. Now that the older man wasn't likely paying attention to the trio, Yang kicked Jaune in the shin – not damagingly, but painful – while Qrow smacked him in the back of the head. They didn't need words to convey how they felt about what just happened.

The party of four traveled through the laboratory's bland hallways, occasionally passed by different Atlesian soldiers who would pause to salute their general. Qrow walked alongside Ironwood, with Yang and Jaune tailing them.

Yang whispered to Jaune, looking around "Not a lot of windows, are there?"

Jaune was about to respond – but Ironwood, roughly two meters ahead of them was quicker "No, in a lab like this, windows are considered a structural weakness – it makes it easier to lockdown entire sectors if anything gets through, or over, the walls."

Jaune knew which of the two Ironwood was referring to specifically however. Nothing was taking down those walls.

"Ah."

The four of them stopped outside a door, sliding open when the general swiped his scroll across the panel next to it. Ironwood regarded them once more. "These are going to be your quarters during your stay. Your scrolls should all be synced, so each of you can get in and out."

"Thank you, sir." Jaune accepted, heading on in. Yang followed closely and the door closed behind them, Qrow staying outside to talk to the general.

"Well, this is nice." Yang said sarcastically, glancing around the room.

There were three beds.

That was it.

"You know what? I like it." Jaune said dryly. "Reminds me of a prison."

"Nah, prison's probably better. At least some cells have windows." Yang explained, "Oh, I call the bed the left – it looks comfy."

"… They're all the same..."

"Let a girl dream, Jaune."

The two of them placed their bags at the feet of two beds – Yang at the left bed that she 'called' and Jaune at the one on the right, leaving Qrow the one in the middle.

The room didn't even have a bathroom connected to it, Jaune despaired. Talk about accommodation.

"So what do you think of Atlas so far, Jaune?" Yang asked with a hint of mirth.

Jaune recognized the tone. "Oh... you know. It's cold."

"Yeah?" Yang sat on her mattress, crossing her legs, "What else?"

"It's also very white."

"Mhmm." Yang hummed, a quaint expression on her face, as she had her eyes closed, imagining it.

"What else am I forgetting?" Jaune adopted a faux-thinking pose, even though Yang couldn't see it, before pretending he'd just come to a realization: "Oh, I know! It's also very cold!"

"Yeah, it sucks here," Qrow said from the doorway, walking in. Oozing unprofessionalism, he fell back onto the bed in between the two teens. "It has it's beauty, you just need to know were to look."

Yang laughed at that "Oh, and where is this beauty we're looking for?"

Qrow sighed, smiling as he looked up at the roof, "Well, it depends on how much you like white and grey"

Both teens laughed along with him this time.

"Anyways, I know its early, but we should try and get some sleep before tomorrow." Qrow mentioned.

"Didn't you guys just sleep for like, five hours on the airship?" Jaune pointed out.

Both Qrow and Yang looked at each other.

"He's not wrong." The relatives echoed.

"You know what? You guys do your thing, I'll just go to sleep." Jaune yawned.

* * *

Jaune sighed, as he continued to patrol the exterior of the complex's walls. He hadn't gotten a very good sleep the night before – courtesy of Yang and her uncle playing some card game. He wasn't sure what they played, but he was one hundred percent certain it did not require them to be so _loud_.

There wasn't anything he could have done about it either. Any time he'd try to tell them to be quiet, they either ignored him or asked him why he hadn't gone to sleep yet.

Despite the times he'd actually been enjoying their company, Jaune was glad for the time alone on his patrol; the only good part of it, mind you. The cold and the boredom weren't exactly very welcoming. The fact that he'd been given standard issue Atlesian combat armor to wear almost countered both of those.

The helmet and body armor covered everything but the bottom half of Jaune's face, which he covered with his scarf. Despite being completely solid, the visor did allow him to see through the use of external sensors – they broadcasted the area around him directly in front of his eyes.

Although the other soldiers claimed it was safe, Jaune had his doubts. His mother had always warned him about sitting too close to the TV screen. And his mother hadn't failed him yet.

The speaker in his ear crackled to life, and a man's voice came through "Command, this is Sentinel Two, I've got movement in the north east. Looks to be Grimm; a pack of Beowolves."

"Copy, Sentinel Two. Saber Thirteen, move to investigate."

Ah, that was him "Copy, Command. Saber Thirteen, en route." He was really glad Qrow went over radio communication before his shift began. That, and all the action movies he'd watched as a kid.

Jaune moved his head from left to right, using the compass on the helmet's visor to determine his direction, before proceeding towards the north east. Ahead of him was a thicket of pine trees, native to the continent of Solitas.

Jaune brought a hand back up to his helmet, "Sentinel Two, this is Saber Thirteen, do you still have eyes on?"

"Roger, Saber Thirteen. They're at your eleven – just at the edge of the treeline."

The armored and armed blonde looked in the specified direction, finally noticing the bulk of the pack. They were blended in quite well with the sparse shrubbery. Jaune stalked closer to the wolf-like Grimm. He counted eight of them – no alpha.

"Command, this is Saber Thirteen, requesting permission to engage the Grimm threats." As he said this, Jaune readied his firearm, deploying it in its more stable, rifle-like form, and aligning the irons with the head of the Beowolf that was the closest.

"Permission granted, Saber Thirteen."

Upon having confirmation, Jaune pulled the trigger twice, before quickly acquiring a new target. The remaining Beowolves turned towards the disruptive gunfire, barely noticing their freshly dead kin already beginning to disappear. Jaune put another two rounds into the open maw of another, the howl it let out instead cut down to a garbled whimper.

The Beowolves, in sudden realization, began to charge Jaune, but he kept firing; two shots for each Beowolf. Six of the canine Grimm were dead or dying before the closest even crossed the halfway mark, all his shots having found their targets. He pulled the trigger once more, gun making a clicking noise, indicating his clip was empty – he hadn't been keeping track as he should have been.

Instead of panicking, however, Jaune simply pulled the alt-trigger, letting his high-caliber reserve round tear through the chest of one of the rapidly approaching Beowolves. He didn't have the time to reload, so he returned his weapon to his back in pistol form. Jaune drew Crocea Mors from his arm, shield now deployed.

The blade quickly found a new home in the chest of the lone charging Beowolf as he sent it on its way to rejoin its ilk.

Jaune used his shield to push the dead Grimm off, before wiping the blade on the black fur of the beast. He'd have to clean the blade properly when his shift ended, but for now it would have to do.

Sheathing Crocea Mors, Jaune was about to report in when an ear-splitting noise buzzed through his helmet, before going completely silent. Jaune keyed his mic, hand up at his helmet again, but the line was static.

Then Jaune heard the dull roar of Bullhead engines, and turned his eyes to the skies. Darting over him, there must have been five Bullheads racing towards the lab. Jaune pulled his firearm from his back, replacing the empty mag with a fresh one, and doing the same with his .50 caliber cartridge.

Fearing the worst, Jaune took off at a jog back towards the complex, as the sound of gunfire rushed out to meet him.

* * *

 **Oh dear, it looks like something's brewing. Of course, it wouldn't be a Jaune centric-fic if Jaune didn't get to be a badass more often, am i right?**

 **Don't worry people, he's just getting started.**

 **Catch you on the flip side!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	8. The Tale of Saber Thirteen

**Hello again!**

 **Now, the thrilling (I hope) conclusion to our blonde hero's adventures in Atlas.**

 **Also, people have been wanting to see what Jaune's weapon might look like. Someone suggested drawing something up to give you guys an idea. If i do, there will be a link on my profile. I'm lazy though, so don't expect anything.**

* * *

"This is Saber Thirteen, can anyone read me?" static from the line was all that answered in response. "Damn."

Jaune slid the helmet off his head and placed it at his feet. Crouched alongside the eastern wall of the complex, the young blonde could still hear the occasional burst of rounds being fired off. Whatever was happening inside the walls – whoever was attacking – was unknown to him, but he had a pretty good idea:

It was the White Fang; he was sure of it.

Rather than returning his helmet to his head and trying the radio channel once more, Jaune instead reached into the pouch on his thigh, pulling out his scroll. He pulled the two pieces apart, the holographic screen sparking to life.

He called the only person he knew he could rely on in the situation – Qrow.

"Come on... pick up... _pick up_..." Jaune prayed. He needed to know what was going on.

To the huntsman-in-training's relief, his instructor's face appeared on the screen.

"Jaune." Qrow sighed, "You're okay?" The huntsman's voice held the tone of professionalism and seriousness Jaune would expect to hear during one of the man's lectures.

"Yes, just finished with a pack of Beowolves when the Bullheads flew over." Qrow nodded in understanding, before Jaune continued. "What's going on?"

"Fang attack," Jaune had guessed right, then, "They had help from the inside – otherwise the AA guns would have chewed them up before they could land. To make matters worse, the Atlas mechanized infantry here on base are under their control as well."

Jaune grimaced at that. He'd seen a couple of the robotic soldiers around the laboratory. That the White Fang had them under control was bad news; the Atlas guards wouldn't be able to handle both the White Fang pressing on the outside and the robots that were scattered throughout the base.

"Even better, there's nothing me nor Ironwood can do to help out right now." Qrow ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration.

That... wasn't good. "Why not?"

"The general and I are stuck down in the deepest part of the facility, under heavy lockdown. Whoever has control over the robots doesn't yet have control over the doors, so we're safe down here for now, albeit surrounded"

"Wait." Jaune tensed up. "Is Yang with you?"

"Yeah, she's here." That was good "Ironwood, Yang, a few soldiers, scientists, and _the head of the Schnee Dust Company who I had no idea was here-_ " Qrow looked pointedly off screen, voice growing more and more irate, "-are with me."

The Schnee CEO was here?

"Look Jaune, this is the last thing I want to suggest; and I know you're not going to like it either."

"What is it?" Jaune asked. Was he going to have to go in, guns blazing, and get them out of there? Sneak in and hack the robots back on their side?

"You should run."

What?

Qrow elaborated upon seeing Jaune's blank stare, "You're not ready for this level of combat, especially not against faunus radicals and killer robots. Men – good men, experienced men – have already died here today. I do not want one of my students to be on that tally, understood?"

Jaune remained crouched in silence as he contemplated the man's words. If he ran, what would become of those still fighting? While he was certain Qrow and Ironwood would be able to find out what to do, he knew that them trying to fight their way out from the inside would be an uphill battle. Not to mention, they had civilians to protect – there _would_ be casualties.

Jaune stared into the camera on his scroll, stating "I can't run, Qrow. You guys need me here. I'm on the outside."

"Qrow, he's right." Jaune heard from off-screen, before Ironwood came into view, over Qrow's shoulder, "Jaune, I don't want to have you risk your life either, but what you said is not wrong; we need you."

"James..." Qrow's tone was threatening – dangerous.

"We have a situation..." The general started plainly, "The SDC head's daughter – the heiress – is also here at the lab, but her location is currently unknown. Worst case scenario, she's already in the Fang's hands and we have a hostage situation. But it is also possible that she's been able to evade them. If that's the case, then finding and securing the Schnee heiress is your top priority."

Qrow sighed, obviously displeased with the way things were turning out, "Once you have the heiress, get her as far away from the lab as you can. If the Fang have her, then you need to get her back."

"And if I can't get her back?"

"Then we'll need you to regroup with us." Ironwood stated.

"Alright. I'll give you guys a call if anything happens."

"Hey kid." Qrow added before Jaune could hang up. "If at any point you feel like you can't do it, just get out of there. We'll be able to take care of it ourselves."

Jaune nodded in response, before sliding his scroll closed. He returned it to his pouch, and slipped his helmet back on. He began to move along the wall – towards the gate – staying low in case the Fang had faunus on the walls.

It was a meager distance to the gate from where he'd made his call, but in his caution it had taken Jaune a long time to cross it. Jaune pulled his scroll out once more, hoping that he had access through the main gate. Originally it had been one of the other guards who'd let him out, and being unable to get into the veritable fortress would definitely be quite unfortunate.

The light above the wall panel went green as Jaune swept his scroll across it. With a terrifyingly loud screech, the large metal door began to slide up. The blonde 'infiltrator' cursed his luck; he should have remembered exactly how much noise the blasted thing had made earlier when he left for his patrol.

"Glen!" a voice resounded through the now open gate. Oh no. "I thought I told you to stop messing with the door controls."

"But... that wasn't me sir." 'Glen' responded.

"Ha, and I'm the queen of Vacuo!" Glen's superior noted sarcastically, "Now get that gate closed and get back to checking the security feeds. We need to find the Schnee girl."

The door, freshly opened, began to close again.

Jaune wasn't going to risk having to open it once more and possibly being found, so he did the only thing he could; he made a dash for the opening.

Jaune dove and tumbled through to the other side, carrying his momentum. He rose to his feet, running and glanced around quickly, scanning for threats while looking for a place to hide. Directly ahead of him was where the Fang's Bullheads had landed. A man wearing some sort of odd outfit – likely a White Fang 'uniform' – saw the blonde's approach, and was about to shout.

Leaving the sheath of Crocea Mors in its condensed form, Jaune barreled into the man full force with his arm raised. The man's back collided with the exterior of the Bullhead behind him, and Jaune used his free hand to grab the man's head, smacking the back of it against the Bullhead repeatedly. The man struggled briefly, before the repetitive blows successfully knocked him out.

Jaune took long, heavy breaths, aware of just how close he'd been to being spotted.

"Sir?" the voice came from just inside the Bullhead's cargo hatch, and another similarly masked face popped out. Within a half a second, the twin barrels of Jaune's gun were pointed in the man's face. "Ah, shit."

Jaune honestly had a similar thought before realizing he was the one in control. "Any sudden movements, and you're a dead man." Jaune growled, attempting to be intimidating.

The White Fang member slowly raised his hands in the universal form of surrender, obviously not being prepared to have a gun shoved in his face. Jaune gestured with a simple nod of his head, "Back inside, 'Glen'. I'm going to need you to get back to work."

If Jaune couldn't see the confusion on his face due to the mask, it was present in his words: "Uhh, could you repeat that please?"

"You and I have a common goal, Glen. I need to find the Schnee heiress, and you...?" Jaune thought of something to say, "You need to do what I need you to do, before I find there's no good reason to keep you alive, understood?"

Gods that sounded cool. He hoped it sounded cooler than he thought it did.

The faunus named Glen sighed as he retreated back into the Bullhead, Jaune's sights tracing a small circle on the back of his head as he followed. Although he was focused on the Fang member, Jaune noticed that the Bullhead he was now in was filled with all types of odd electronic devices, cables, and holo-screens. A command center of some sort?

Glen sat at a terminal and started flipping through the camera feeds, searching for any clue of the heiress.

After a moment, Glen spoke up, "Here she is, section four, block B." Glen sighed again, perhaps hoping it had taken longer.

"Thanks for your hard work, Glen. Now you can have a nice-" Jaune smacked the back of his head with the sheath of Crocea Mors "-long rest."

The faunus in the chair now knocked out, Jaune looked to the holo-screen that the Schnee girl was currently on.

The – admittedly – quite beautiful girl was fending off a wave of robotic attackers; three in total, shooting at her with their built in guns. She somehow blocked the incoming bullets, before dashing forth, propelled by a rune or something. With a series of succinct strikes, the three mechs were quickly turned into scrap.

Wow, she's _good_. He took one last glance at the screen, confirming the direction the Schnee girl was moving in. The girl was moving closer to the surface; a good thing because it meant Jaune had less distance to travel, but it was bad because it meant the girl would likely encounter some of the faunus terrorists.

Jaune exited the Bullhead, but not before dragging the unconscious body of the other White Fang member inside. The helmeted blonde was surprised that there weren't more of the faunus around.

In fact, the courtyard was now populated only by Jaune himself, and the scattered corpses of Fang and Atlesian soldiers alike.

So much unnecessary death. And for what? Petty revenge? The thought sickened him. He was glad there were more Fang dead than the soldiers. The soldiers were just doing their jobs – they didn't choose this fight that the White Fang forced upon them.

On his way to the main door of the complex – the one with a giant hole blasted through it – Jaune stopped by the still body of one of his Atleasian comrades. He sighed as he crouched beside the older man, pulling the rifle from his stony grip.

It felt wrong to scavenge, nevermind from someone so recently deceased. But Jaune had no idea what kind of resistance he was about to go up against once inside. He had to conserve his own ammo; morbidly, the man he was taking from wasn't going to need his.

But now wasn't the time to think about something like that. He had a job to do; people were relying on him; and he'd be damned if he let them down.

Jaune entered the lab through the gaping hole. The death and carnage wasn't limited to outside, it seemed. The metal walls were lightly scarred by bullet impacts, empty casings scattered on the floor around Jaune as he moved forwards.

The armored blonde navigated the corridors, scavenged rifle at the ready. He traced a path that he hoped would cross with that of the Schnee heiress. Within a minute, he came across a team of White Fang members, their myriad weapons trained on an elevator door as the glowing number above changed, indicating that the elevator was ascending. The open area was prepared with makeshift barricades – filing cabinets and bookshelves tipped over to provide cover for the Fang.

Jaune's breath hitched in his throat as he realized that it might be the Schnee girl riding up on the elevator. If that was the case, she'd be walking right into an ambush.

Jaune felt a tinge of despair at the thought that he might have to kill these people.

Jaune didn't really want to have to take a life that wasn't Grimm, but he had to – he knew he wasn't skilled enough to fight them and subsequently spare them. He wouldn't be able to guarantee his own safety if he only went to disarm or wound, especially if his enemy was _not_ going to be holding back.

He let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, and steadied the rifle's sights square on the back of one terrorist – right over the White Fang emblem.

And then he waited. The agonizing seconds while the elevator rose to the top. If he fired just as the elevator hit their floor, he'd be able to distract the would-be ambushers long enough for their target to escape – or join the fray.

So long as it actually was the Schnee on board, and not more White Fang or some Atlas mechs.

The elevator dinged, and Jaune opened fire.

His first target dropped, not being protected by her Aura - dead instantly. It was unfortunate, but Jaune hoped it didn't hurt too badly. The rest of the ambushing faunus turned just as the elevator door opened, and the beautiful girl he'd seen on the security feed fell upon them.

The unexpected kick of the rifle Jaune had in his hands made it take a little longer to switch to a new target than usual, but by the time he had, the masked man he'd intended to shoot got sent flying.

The girl in the white dress dashed all around the hallway, a flurry of stabs and strange glyphs appearing as she fended off the ambush. Jaune, rather than shooting blindly, decided to focus on targets the girl 'ignored'.

The fight was over almost as quickly as it started, the faunus not standing a chance against the ferocity of the white-clad girl and the gunfire from the hall behind them.

Jaune strode forwards as the last Fang member was flung into the ceiling, propelled by one of the Schnee girl's glyphs. "Miss Schnee!" Jaune called.

The girl turned, rapier at the ready before relaxing as she saw the Atlesian armor Jaune was wearing. She let her stress out in a sigh, "Finally, someone who isn't trying to kill me."

Jaune came to a stop a short distance from the remarkable girl. The security feed hadn't done her justice. Her bright blue eyes nearly took Jaune's breath away alone, never mind the light scar above her left – which Jaune found incredibly attractive.

Jaune shook off the thought. He'd appreciate her beauty when they were safe. "Are you injured?" He asked.

"I'm fine, just a little... tired. What's going on?" the Schnee asked.

"White Fang raid. They had help from the inside. The mechs are theirs until someone hacks them back." Jaune explained quickly, turning in the direction of the exit – the way he came. "I'm here to get you off base and to safety. General's orders."

"Wait. We're leaving?" The Schnee girl's voice demanded an explanation, clearly not wanting to leave.

Jaune knew it couldn't be that easy. He stopped and turned. "Every second we spend here is another unnecessary risk. If you fall into Fang hands, everyone here on base's chances are shot."

"But we can't just leave!" the girl argued indignantly.

"Yes we can." Jaune practically growled. Despite the girls beauty, Jaune was annoyed that she wasn't seeing the full picture. "I made my way back into this facility to rescue you, just so you could get caught? I don't think so." He began to quote what Qrow had said earlier "Good men have already died here today. The quicker we get out of here, the better the chances that there will be less casualties." For both ourselves and the Fang, Jaune didn't add. He turned to leave again.

"So we're just going to run?"

 _Run._ The word stopped Jaune in his tracks. Was that what they were doing? What Qrow had wanted him to do in the first place?

The very thing that he had refused to do himself? In order to help the people inside?

Jaune sighed smacking a closed fist against his forehead, clanging against the metal helmet. Jaune hadn't run because he felt like he could still do something – that he could help the people on the inside. He figured by getting the heiress out, he'd be doing that.

But now, here he was – trying to get the girl to safety, only to find that in doing so, he'd be a hypocrite.

 _"_ Alright then." Jaune turned to the girl with a smile, and it grew at seeing the surprise on her face. "What do you suppose we do?" Jaune asked.

The Schnee girl smiled uncertainly, before explaining. "Well, I was on my way to section two, where the security office is-" Jaune remembered the place from earlier "-it's possible we may be able to disable the mechs from there. But..."

"But?" Jaune prompted the heiress to continue.

"It's probably being very well defended, especially if the Fang think it might be a target."

Jaune nodded along, helmeted head bobbing. "Good idea. If we can get those mechs offline – or perhaps even back on our side, the Fang won't stand a chance."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" The Schnee quipped.

"I'll lead - I know the way to security." Jaune took off at a light jog, confident that any resistance they meet on the way would fall under the combined might of the two fighters.

The heiress kept up quite easily – Jaune was positive that she could move at a faster pace, but they still had to be cautious and conserve their energy.

"I'll admit," The Schnee heiress stated from behind him "I wasn't expecting you to agree to this so easily. Disobeying an order from the General, I mean."

"Well, technically it wouldn't be the first order I disobeyed today." Jaune stated as he checked around the corner. Clear.

"What do you mean?"

"I was 'ordered' by my superior – not Ironwood – to run. To abandon this fight. But I made a decision not to. I was out on patrol when the lab was attacked. I very easily could have left. But I didn't."

"That's very..." the Schnee searched for a word.

"Foolish?" Jaune supplied.

"No, I think it's brave."

Jaune blushed at the praise, hoping the girl couldn't see it. "Thanks. But you're doing the same thing. I offered you an out, but you've made the choice to stay behind and help. That makes you equally as brave, Miss Schnee."

"Weiss."

"Huh?"

"My name is Weiss."

"Oh. The name's J-" Jaune caught himself, remembering to keep professional, as Qrow had told him. He cleared his throat. "Just... call me Saber."

"Saber?" Weiss quizzed.

"Yeah, just Saber." Saber Thirteen was his call sign, so he figured it would be suitable. To keep things 'professional.'

"Alright then, 'Just', let's get moving – we're wasting time."

Wait, what? Before he could correct the Schnee that his name wasn't 'Just' – nor was it Saber, but that was besides the point – the girl was around the corner and moving down the hall.

Jaune sighed as he followed her.

The Fang resistance between the elevator where Weiss got off and the security office was minimal, the bulk of their forces probably situated floors below, outside the lockdown area.

"How many of them do you think there are, Just?" Weiss referred to the scene in front of them.

"Four knight mechs, ten Fang. And for the last time call me-"

"I count the same. Are you ready?" the heiress interrupted.

"Whatever, just get in position, _snow angel_." Jaune joked before claming up. _Professional_. Weiss shot an annoyed glare back his way, before sneaking closer to the door.

Perhaps ironically, the security offices had the only windows in the entire building – no doubt they were bulletproof, but that wasn't going to stop Jaune from trying to shoot through them. Weiss sidled up next to the entrance to the offices, and gave Jaune the signal.

With the rifle he'd scavenged earlier, he shot a single round into the ballistic resistant glass. The round was stopped completely, but it had done its job; the White Fang inside reacted nearly instantly, rushing out the door to engage their attacker.

All ten of the Fang – as well as the robots – entered the hall, leaving the security room unoccupied for Weiss to slip into.

Jaune deployed his sheath in shield form, deflecting and blocking the bullets that began raining down on his position. He felt a couple rounds impact his Atlesian armor as well, but his Aura reduced the damage they did.

He began to back away a little, as the Fang pressed their attack. He hoped Weiss would be done quick, because there was no way he was going to last very much longer.

The shots just kept coming, too many to count, pelting away at his shield and armor. He felt his Aura give out, and took a round in his right shoulder. The pain was searing, but he continued to hold his shield to bear as the metal rain continued. Then he heard the surprised shouts and yelps of the Fang members. Jaune dared to look out from behind his shield as the hail of metal stopped, and breathed a pained sigh of relief at what he'd seen.

The last of the faunus were taken down, the Schnee heiress standing triumphantly above them, four Atlesian mechs forming a defensive perimeter around her.

"Hey Just." She called. "Looks like your shield might need a new paint job."

Jaune stood, inspecting the front of his shield and the floor in front of him. They must have fired over two hundred rounds at him, judging from the scarred face of his protection and the numerous bullets on the ground.. Jaune went to collapse his shield, only to find that it _refused_ to do so, likely from the damage it sustained.

Dad was going to be pissed. Jaune couldn't help but laugh to himself at that, but cringed when his laughter reminded him of the shot he took in the arm.

"Just! You're hurt!" the Schnee heiress shouted, running up to him, mechs moving with her.

He waved her off, certain he'd be okay. It hurt a lot, but he felt fine otherwise. "Later; we need to contact the general. But this is the last time I'm... tanking for you, got it?"

"Of course. But that's what you get for calling me _snow angel_." Her tone was serious, but he could tell she didn't really mean it. It was likely that Weiss felt at least a little responsible for his injury. Having him draw out the enemy so she could get the mechs back on their side was her idea after all.

Jaune went to reach into the pouch for his scroll, only to find that trying to reach it resulted in too much pain. "Uhh, could you...?" He gestured to his pouch.

"Sure." She grabbed his scroll out of his pouch for him, and handed it to him. "Why not use your radio?"

"Fang are jamming it apparently. We probably could have found the source and..." Jaune trailed off as he realized what he just said.

His radio had cut out earlier as the Bullheads went overhead. When he was in the courtyard earlier, he'd been right next to the damn things.

He was one hundred percent sure that the jammer was on the command Bullhead he'd been inside earlier.

"Never mind." Jaune slid his scroll open, calling Qrow.

"Hey ki-"

Jaune cut the man off as soon as he knew he'd gotten through. "Qrow, the mechs are back on our side – if you want to bust out of there, now's your guys' chance!"

Qrow nodded, and the line cut instantly.

"Who was that?" Weiss asked.

"My superior. Let's go."

Weiss didn't argue, much to Jaune's pleasure, as the two of them, accompanied by the four mechs, retraced their way back to the entrance of the research lab.

* * *

Jaune laid the rifle he'd borrowed back at the body of the soldier he took it from. "It served me well." He whispered, as if it was some kind of condolence to the dead man.

Jaune and Weiss had made it back into the courtyard. The sun was beginning to set, and the outdoor lighting around the complex began to come to life in response. The mechs accompanying the duo made sure the area was clear. The two faunus Jaune had ran into initially were now tied up – something he probably should have done earlier.

Jaune moved to sit next to Weiss, who was on a crate with her eyes trained on the door to the lab, face expressing concern.

They sat in silence, waiting. Then the first of many Atleasian soldiers came out, rifles at the ready. They looked around, checking the area to verify it was safe. Just the sight of friendlies was enough to get both Jaune and Weiss to relax.

Next out the hole in the laboratory door was a man that Jaune didn't recognize, surrounded by a whole squad of soldiers. He put two and two together when he noticed the white hair and the fact that Weiss had practically disappeared from her spot next to him to glomp the man. Ironwood was the next one out, examining the damage dealt to the lab before sighing. No doubt this was a nightmare for the general.

Following him, however, were the people Jaune most wanted to see: Qrow and Yang came out together, and Jaune removed his helmet, rushing forward to meet them.

What he hadn't expected, was Yang's bone-crushing hug.

"Ahhg, Yang, my arm!" Jaune squeeked.

"Oh sorry!" Yang quickly released him, before grabbing his arm and inspecting it. _Roughly_. "What happened?"

"I got shot." Jaune stated simply through gritted teeth as Yang's fingers moved quickly, undoing the piece of white cloth Weiss had wrapped around his wound. He had to admit, the Schnee did a good job.

"Didn't your Aura protect you?" Yang asked, her concern hidden by her curiosity.

"Yeah, it did. For the first _three hundred_ shots." Jaune felt like he could exaggerate a little, considering what he just went through.

"You shouldn't have even _taken_ three hundred shots Arc." Qrow added as he caught up to Yang, smiling.

"Yeah, I'll do better next time." Jaune joked back, causing the huntsman to shake his head and grin.

"Come on, let's go get that looked at." Qrow suggested.

"Hey, can that wait for just like, a few seconds?" Jaune turned, scanning for the Schnee heiress, only to find that neither she, nor her father were anywhere in sight.

Instead, what Jaune noticed was a Bullhead lifting off, the emblem of the Atlas military painted on the side.

"Jaune, don't worry about them." Qrow said, likely aware of what the blonde boy had been thinking. "Things are going to be okay. Ironwood's taking the Schnees elsewhere – a base that hasn't been compromised."

Jaune continued to watch as the Bullhead passed over the wall and out of sight.

He could only smile as the words Qrow said registered.

"That's good." was all Jaune could say. He wondered if he'd ever see her again.

Then Yang pulled on Jaune's injured arm, causing him to groan in pain and breaking his daze.

"Come on tough guy, let's get you fixed up."

* * *

Weiss sat in silence as the Bullhead took off, frustrated at having to leave so quickly. She hadn't gotten a chance to truly thank the soldier who'd helped her.

A man who went against orders to help others, who willingly faced a literal hail of gunfire on so much as a whim. He'd even understood her desire to stay behind and help the people who'd been doing their very best to protect herself and her father.

 _Just Saber._ She'd remember his name.

In fact... Weiss took out her own scroll. She accessed the search function, and typed in the name.

No results? That was odd... Maybe she'd spelt it wrong?

She tried again... and again... and again...

She pulled up the Atlas Military Database, something that was unlisted in the search engine – for security reasons – and scanned through the names.

Not a single mention of Just Saber.

* * *

 **The ending of this chapter might feel forced. That's because i'm a bad writer, and it _most definitely is forced_. Sue me. **

**But please don't.**

 **Feel free to review or PM me with concerns, grammatical mistakes, or whatever. Believe it or not, I do listen to you guys. Feel free to pitch some ideas too - they might just get some representation.**

 **Later!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	9. Reasoning

**Yay, another chapter! Not much to say before this one. 6K words this chapter! Go me!**

 **Enjoy guys!**

* * *

Jaune swung his feet out of bed clumsily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He had to admit, after a week in Atlas, it was good to sleep in his own bed again.

It was the first day back on Patch, six days since the attack on the Schnee lab. Another Monday, yet Jaune didn't have to worry about classes; Qrow decided to give him some time off, in light of what had happened during their mission. His teacher and mentor explained that it was the norm for huntsmen and huntresses to take a little downtime after a particularly stressful mission.

Listening to Yang describe what Jaune had done really put it in perspective. After all, he did 'infiltrate a veritable fortress, fight off nearly an entire strike team of White Fang terrorists and killer robots, rescue someone who's basically a princess, and then defended said princess from a hail of gunfire while she hacked the mechs, thus saving the day.'

It would also give Jaune's wound time to heal. An estimated two weeks of recovery, from the day of. Therefore, he had one week left until he was cleared for physical activity again.

But neither his wound nor the stress he'd experienced was what was troubling Jaune – Qrow knew it too.

He, Jaune Arc, had killed someone.

Out of a confirmed twenty two dead White Fang terrorists, Jaune had been responsible for four of them. Four faunus who were just fighting for what they believed in. They didn't have to die either; if Jaune was had been more skilled, their lives were lives he could have spared. _Saved_.

He didn't sleep the night of the attack - unable to, as he thought about what he'd done. He never saw the faces of those he killed, but he was thankful that he hadn't. If he did, their visages would have surely haunted him. But, Jaune had an imagination; both a blessing and a curse. The girl he shot in the spine? It was possible that she had family waiting for her, somewhere, wondering what she was doing.

Each of the four Fang members he killed, he'd imagined their lives. Their occupations before human supremacy forced them to take up arms. Their lovers and friends, their likes and dislikes. Though their faces had been hidden behind masks, that didn't make them any less real. Any less... _'human'_ than Jaune himself.

Jaune even thought about what it would have been like if he himself had been born into a faunus family. What if it had been one of his sisters there, with a bullet in her back?

Those thoughts hadn't been left behind in Atlas, as even now, a week later, they still plagued him.

There was a knock at his door, and Jaune's head twitched towards the sound of fist on wood. He looked down at his hands, to see them shaking.. The blonde suddenly felt really thirsty.

"Just a moment!" Jaune called out hoarsely to whoever was knocking. Walking towards the entranceway, he noticed he was now out of breath. _What is wrong with me_?

The suddenly tired blonde unlocked and opened the door, and to his surprise, there was Ruby standing in the doorway, a heavy looking bag in her hands.

Jaune wasn't just surprised that the young girl knew where he lived, but also that she was simply here. Hadn't they only known each other for barely one day?

"Ruby?" Jaune asked, "Shouldn't you be at Signal?"

The shorter girl's eyes narrowed investigatively, looking past him into his apartment. "Jaune, did you just wake up?"

"Umm... yeah, why?" Jaune didn't know what was wrong with that. What time did Ruby usually get up?

"It's like, four in the afternoon Jaune. Are you sick or something?" The young girl put the bag down beside her, standing on her tiptoes to place a hand on Jaune's forehead, currently wrinkled in confusion. _Was it that time already_? She pulled her hand back instantly, "Sheesh, you're burning up!"

Was he? Jaune put his own hand to his forehead. He... really didn't feel like it. Ruby 'forced' her way into his apartment by pushing lightly on his chest, nearly causing him to topple over. _Maybe he was sick_. Ruby closed the door behind her. Or, she would have closed the door, had she not left her bag right in the doors path.

It was almost comical, seeing realization dawn on Ruby's face. An embarrassed blush followed, as she struggled briefly to drag the bag through the doorway. Surely she didn't carry that all the way from Signal, did she?

Whatever was in the bag, it looked heavy. "What do you have there, Ruby?"

"Don't you worry about that just yet." She said with certainty. "You go lie down, you shouldn't be standing with a fever like that."

"But I don't-" Jaune's stubborn response was interrupted by a bout of lightheadedness "I think I'm going to go sit down." He confirmed.

Jaune went over and sat on his bed, watching as Ruby dragged the bag even further into his apartment. Satisfied that it was deep enough in, Ruby moved to sit in Jaune's desk chair. It was her only option really, the only other unoccupied spot being right next to Jaune on the bed, and Jaune didn't expect her to sit right there.

Ruby was an enigma to Jaune – or at least in his current state; they'd just become what he'd considered friends little over a week ago, and she seemed way too forward. The younger girl was nothing like how Yang described her: shy, socially awkward, clumsy. Well, maybe the last one, but still; She didn't even hesitate when she reached for Jaune's forehead to check his temperature.

Or maybe the other sides of Ruby that Yang described simply overpowered those traits: her kind-heartedness, her devotion to helping people in need, her sincerity. All the sorts of traits Jaune would expect to see in a model huntress.

That made Jaune think.

"Ruby... why do you want to become a huntress?" he quizzed, hoping it wasn't too sudden or awkward of a question to ask. Apparently he wasn't thinking straight either.

Her silver eyes locked with Jaune's. "I want to help people." Her response was almost instantaneous.

She said it with such conviction, such _honesty_ , that Jaune swore it got a few degrees colder in his apartment.

Was that all she really needed to say?

But her words stirred prompted no doubt from Jaune; Ruby would become a huntress because she wanted to help people. Was it just that simple for her?

"What about you, Jaune?"

There it was. He knew it was coming, knew she would ask it – but he still wasn't prepared for it.

"I..." Jaune stalled, waiting for the words to come to him. "I want to become a huntsman because it's what I've always wanted. My father and his father, my mother," Jaune felt his hand twitch, and he eyed his bag, still unpacked, "my aunt. They were all spectacular huntsmen and huntresses, and I feel like I'd be letting them down by being anything less."

"Jaune..." Ruby's voice called his eyes back to hers, and she continued, "That sounds more like a reason you _need_ to become a huntsman, not why you _want_ to become one."

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there's a difference!" Ruby huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "It sounds like you're just trying to live up to your own false expectations."

Since when did this girl two years younger than him seem so much wiser? "What do you mean?" Jaune asked quietly.

Ruby let out a light sigh, "You and I, we're not so different. When I was younger, I always wanted to become a great huntress just like my mom – my dad too. But when I told him that, my dad asked me the very same question you just asked me. 'Why did I want to be a huntress?'

"I couldn't answer it properly, my only response being that 'I wanted to be just like mom.' He said – in the most caring way he could – that it wasn't a good enough answer. He said that if I wanted to be just like my mom, I'd have to have the same drive she did. To fight for the same reasons."

"And...?" Jaune said, hoping for Ruby to continue.

"I never found out why my mother wanted to be a huntress – but I also realized that I didn't want to become her; I wanted to be what she was to me, but to somebody else. Like a heroine from the stories, in the fairy tales. I want to help people." she smiled at Jaune, "It's what I want to do, not what I _think_ I want to do."

Jaune nodded along, trying to comprehend what the younger girl had said. Did he have a reason he truly _wanted_ to be a huntsman?

His internal musing was interrupted however, when Ruby's mood changed as if with the flick of a switch: "Oh, I forgot what I actually came here for! Here," She stood up and dragged the heavy looking bag she brought with her closer to Jaune, "Ginny sent me here with this."

The forge-master? What would she need to send him?

Ruby unzipped the bag for him, revealing its contents. There... there was no way she got all this so fast! Jaune had sent her a message in between flights on the way to the lab, but surely a week wasn't long enough to procure... _this_!

Filling the majority of the bag were small pouches containing various types of Dust, and tucked away in the corner was a box of empty .50 caliber rifle casings. The Dust itself was low quality – the cheapest money could buy, but if he was going to be experimenting, then quantity was better than quality until he got more experienced.

"Oh, wow!" Ruby said, as she examined the contents across from Jaune.

…Did Ruby not know she was carrying all this Dust? The thought made Jaune shiver. What would have happened if her closing the bag in the door earlier had ignited _all_ of it?

"What do you need all this Dust for?" Ruby pulled out a small brown package, inspecting the label. " _Ground Frost Dust_." She listed, putting it to the side.

"My weapon." Jaune answered, taking another package of Ground Frost Dust and placing it beside the one Ruby just placed.

"Your weapon uses Dust? Since when?" Ah, that was right, Miss Ciara had shown Ruby the schematics.

"… Not yet." The blonde pulled out two identical looking pouches, and checked the labels. _Cut Shock and Ground Shock_... he supposed he could test it out. It couldn't hurt, now could it? He placed the Cut Shock pouch on the bed next to him, while placing its sand like cousin at his feet. "Ground Shock." He called out.

"Burn, Uncut."

"Energy, Ground."

"Cut Light Dust... What's Light Dust?" Ruby asked, not having heard of it before.

"It's artificial, a mix of Burn and Energy. It can be fused with other types for a variety of effects." Jaune recalled from what he'd read on his auntie's notes on _Dust Alchemy_.

Ruby opened the pouch cautiously, pulling a white crystal shard out. "What does it do?"

"Apparently it glows when you activate it with your Aura. Try it out."

Ruby did so, and the white crystal began to glow a dull red hue. As she put more into it, it began to glow brighter. "How long does it last?" She asked, her voice a whisper, as if the slightest lapse in concentration would make the light go out.

"For low-quality like this, not very long." Jaune confirmed, just as the glow emanating from Ruby's hand began to die out. "The highest quality last lifetimes, but those are incredibly expensive: about three months worth of my rent for a crystal the size of the one you just used."

Ruby stared at the now dead crystal in her hand. "So... what can you do with these... low-quality ones?"

"Here, toss me one." Ruby did so, and Jaune caught the small crystal – smaller even than the one Ruby used. "Now, you're going to want to close your eyes and turn away."

Ruby complied, and Jaune did the same, before forcing as much Aura as he could into the crystal between his fingers.

Even having his free arm crossed in front of his eyes while they were closed seemed to do nothing against the bright flash that followed. Within an instant, the crystal simply shattered.

"That was _bright_." Ruby stated plainly, blinking tears out of her eyes, despite having looked away.

"Neat, hey?" Jaune asked.

"And you said it could be fused with other types? What does that do?"

Jaune chuckled, "Hey, I can't tell you all the tricks I've got in store, can I? What would I do if you show up at Beacon two years from now and thoroughly embarrass me in a spar?"

Ruby shook her head at that, "No, that would happen anyways. Me and Crescent Rose are unstoppable!"

Jaune grinned. Oh, this was going to be _fun_. "Oh really? What about that one time that Yang told me about? You know, when you challenged Qrow to a match and he beat you with one arm tied behind his back?"

Ruby blushed, "Yang told you about that?" She huffed and crossed her arms again, although it was more in embarrassment than anything.

"Yep, that and a whole lot more." Jaune confirmed. That was a lie though – the story about Ruby fighting Qrow was about it for his knowledge of the embarrassing moments in Ruby's life.

Ruby's blush deepened, and she quickly reached into the slowly emptying bag for another pouch. "B-b-burn, ground." she stuttered as she placed it to the side.

They continued their work in relative silence, only calling out the types and sorting them accordingly.

The bag was almost completely empty when Ruby grabbed the box of casings. ".50 cal rifle casings..." She looked around at the array of bags "Did you get anything else for your ammunition? Like bullets or something?"

"Nope." Jaune looked out the window, noticing the color of the sky had turned a dull orange. "It's starting to get late, do you want me to take you home?"

"Are you sure Jaune? You weren't looking very well earlier. Are you.. _better_ _now_?" Ruby tilted her head, as if she couldn't understand why he was suddenly not ill.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't too sick, anyways." Assuming he was actually sick. He'd no idea what it was that happened earlier when he woke up.

"Well, in that case, sure." Ruby agreed.

Jaune stood, stepping around the carefully sorted packages of Dust and retrieved Crocea Mors.

The face of it's shield had yet to be repainted – he'd take care of that himself later – but he still hadn't been able to figure out exactly why the shield refused to collapse again. He'd scanned it, front and back, for any signs of serious damage, but aside from the faint scratches it sustained, nothing seemed like it was wrong. Idly, he wondered what the thing was made of. Maybe he could take it to Miss Ciara when his break was over, see what she thought?

He grabbed his gun as well. He _really_ needed a name for it. Something cool, but also something that fit it. Maybe Ruby had some ideas? No, asking her was a bad idea. That was like asking someone else to name his own child.

He shook the thought. He turned to Ruby and the girl stared at him curiously.

"What?" he asked.

"… you do know you're just walking me home right? Not... fighting a war?"

That... was true. But Jaune only shrugged in response, moving to leave. "You never know when you're going to need a weapon. I'd rather not fight another Beowolf unarmed – once is enough for me."

"You fought a Beowolf unarmed?" Ruby turned, following Jaune towards the door.

"Yeah, let me tell you about it. You see, I was surrounded by them once while out training with my dad-" the buzzing of his scroll in his pocket, as well as its fairly catchy ringtone interrupted his story. "Hold on, I gotta take this." he opened the door, letting Ruby out, before following close behind, locking the door.

Jaune slid his scroll open, surprised at who was calling him. He selected the option for voice only, and held the scroll close to his ear. "Hello."

" _Is that Jaune Arc I hear?_ " The lightly accented voice of Sherry Port rolled through the scroll's speaker.

"Yeah, it is. Did you think I gave you a fake number or something like that?" Jaune never actually considered it, but maybe it would have been a good idea.

" _Nah, ya' wouldn't dare risk it. That's just your type. Anyways, I don't have much time here, I'll get straight to what I want. You said you were going ta' Signal, correct?_ "

Immediately, Jaune's mind started whirling. He recalled owing Sherry a favor in return for the medicine that she'd given him on the ferry ride to Vale. He still hadn't figured out if it was the tonic itself or having his Aura unlocked that made any subsequent flights or voyages vomit free, but he intended to find out.

If it _was_ the medicine, then Sherry wouldn't have been lying about it being expensive. And that meant the favor he owed her would be a big one.

"Yeah, I'm set to graduate this year. Why?"

" _Oh, that's just perfect. As I've been told, a lot of you students still have ta' do your graduation missions, right?_ "

Jaune cringed as he motioned for Ruby to start walking. Sherry wasn't wrong; Jaune had hoped that his and Yang's trip with Qrow would count, but it didn't. Firstly, it hadn't been an official mission – Qrow was technically hired help, being paid by the Atlas military as a mercenary, rather than as a huntsman. Secondly, because Qrow was there, it didn't count as the two students being alone on the mission.

In order for a mission to be considered for their graduation criteria, it had to be taken as a team of two or more, without teacher supervision. Within the last month or so of the school year, there were tons of missions that could be taken that would count – but if students did missions beforehand, they could use those instead.

"Yeah, that's right. I still have to get mine done." What could the woman possibly want that has to do with the graduation missions? Maybe she had one of her own that she wanted Jaune to take care of? If that was the case, then Jaune hoped it wasn't anything like his most recent experience.

He took a deep breath, repressing the memories that began to surface again.

" _Good, then my favor is to take a certain classmate of yours along on your mission, whatever and wherever it may be._ "

That was an oddly... simple request. "Who?" Jaune asked.

Despite the request being simple, it may actually be quite a challenge. If it was somebody he'd hardly ever talked to, it might be really hard to get them to agree to go with him on a mission.

" _Yang Xiao Long, do you know her?_ "

… Or it could be his closest friend at Signal, who he'd already intended on going on his graduation mission with?

"Why _her_?" Jaune tried to sound as disappointed as possible, realizing that if he made it sound like he didn't want to do it, Sherry might consider it a bigger favor.

On the inside though, Jaune had mixed feelings. What was Sherry's interest in Yang? Why did she want him to go on the mission with her? But at the same time, Jaune was elated that her request wasn't going to separate the two. Despite her abrasive personality, Yang was a fun person to be around – and he'd infinitely prefer to be with her than one of his other classmates that he didn't know too well.

And it would give Jaune the chance to actually work side by side with Yang, something that didn't occur in Atlas.

" _Thing is, I'm using my favor to fulfill a favor of one of the people I owe. Make sense? So I don't even know exactly why... but if it clears me and you of favors, then it's worth it, right?_ "

"I guess..." Jaune expressed actual uncertainty. What would going on a mission with Yang accomplish for this mystery person? There were too many questions and too few answers.

" _Ah, whatever. It's not like you're really going out of your way anyways. I've got to go. Bye now!_ " Sherry stated.

"Sure thing. Bye." Jaune slid his scroll closed, ending the call.

"So... who was that?" Ruby asked, walking backwards so that she faced Jaune. They were on a cobblestone path now, having left the apartment complex during Jaune's call.

"Sorry about that; it was just a friend who I met over the holidays. She wanted to ask me about how my classes were going."

"I see." Ruby's simple words betrayed the fact that she obviously wanted to know more, but the girl didn't say another word as they followed the path that apparently led towards Ruby's home.

Jaune was about to say something to break the silence, when he noticed a black creature at the crest of the hill they were moving towards. "Beowolf, dead ahead. Top of the hill."

"Huh?" Ruby squinted. "Oh, I see it. This one's mine." The quirky girl unleashed Crescent Rose in its full form.

Oh good, finally Jaune would be able to see how she used it - her - _whatever._

Jaune watched as Ruby readied the massive weapon behind her, and with a gunshot and a swirl of rose petals, she vanished. Jaune, in realization, turned towards the Beowolf, only to see it split in two, the red cloak of the girl billowing out behind it.

"What the..." Jaune managed to gasp out, as Ruby turned to face him. How did she just do that?

Perhaps unnecessarily, Ruby pulled back the bolt of Crescent Rose, ejecting the spent casing, a grin from ear to ear on her face.

" _Unstoppable_ , got it?" She called from the high ground.

Jaune could only nod dumbly in response as his legs began to carry him up the hill towards the girl.

Ruby would be a huntress, there was no doubt about that.

* * *

Yang drummed her fingers on the top of her desk, glancing back and forth between her uncle and the clock behind him.

It wasn't as if her uncle's lecture was actually boring – in fact, Yang was sure it was quite the opposite. No matter the topic, Uncle Qrow had always managed to make it sound interesting, even to someone like Yang, who usually had no interest in book learning or class assignments that didn't end with her punching things.

Her disinterest was in fact, something Qrow had actually _recommended_. Her uncle was an active huntsman, someone who still did their job on the side despite being a teacher. As such, in opposition with a lot of the teachers at Signal, he had a more... realistic outlook with regards to the curriculum taught to the students.

There were things that her uncle thought completely unnecessary to teach to his students – unfortunately, Yang's uncle also wasn't entirely in charge of what they were marked on, nor what he was supposed to teach in class.

With regards to the current topic, her Uncle Qrow had told her to pretty much ignore whatever he said. What he was being forced to teach was something he himself had decided was irrelevant in the daily life of a huntsman or a huntress.

However, Yang noticed, it didn't stop Jaune from absorbing it like a sponge. She looked over to the boy in question, who was sitting rows in front of her, watching as he meticulously took notes while paying rapt attention to her uncle. He was clinging to every word.

The boy had changed. Yang remembered how her fellow blonde would have been dozing off during even the most important of Qrow's lectures. Yang desperately wanted to know what exactly it was that caused Jaune to change, and she'd hoped to find out when they were in Atlas two weeks prior.

Of course, she never did find out, courtesy of the White Fang's ridiculously bad timing. Or maybe it was good timing on their part.

She'd been with her uncle when the alarms first started to ring at the lab. At around two, she was supposed to switch shifts with Jaune who was outside the wall on patrol, but until then, Qrow had wanted her to stick with him and see if she could learn anything by watching him.

Her uncle's attitude before and after the alarm went off was like night and day. The fun loving man she knew for practically all her life – the one she played card games all the night before – was replaced in an instant by someone who could only be described as 'serious.'

Her uncle had led her around the halls of the lab until they reached a 'safe zone.' Yang recognized Ironwood, the general having made it down there as well.

And that was when Jaune called her uncle. _Jaune._ Her friend, who'd only had his Aura activated two weeks ago.

Her friend, who was stuck outside the walls of the lab complex, while she was stuck inside, ' _safe._ '

She didn't get the chance to talk to him, the urgency of the situation keeping her from doing so. Yang overheard him however; when he expressed his desire to come back and help however he could, instead of running like Qrow suggested.

Yang would never admit it – even now – but she herself had wanted him to run.

Ironwood briefed him on what he had to do, and all the while Yang was seething. The general was treating him just like another soldier. Regrettably, a soldier was exactly what he was supposed to be at the time. But that didn't make her – or her uncle – any less angry. If Yang had been ready to throw a fit, then Qrow threw one tenfold on her behalf.

She'd never seen her uncle so angry. Well, maybe _once_ before, but that was nothing like at the lab. Qrow was likely equally as concerned as Yang was – out there wasn't just a friend, but a student. a responsibility; a ' _child_ '. And all they could do was wait.

And they waited, in the stressful silence only permutated by the sounds of Fang activity, faint against the doors of their safe room. They wouldn't dare open the doors to let Yang out, to let her _help._ Because that would be putting the civilians inside, including the CEO of the Schnee Company at unnecessary risk.

Finally, when Yang thought she was about to burst, she heard gunfire and shouts from outside the room. Qrow's scroll went off – it was Jaune, saying it was their chance. The Atlas soldiers, on orders from Ironwood opened the doors and they began to fight their way out.

Yang didn't throw a single punch. nor fire a single shot that day.

The bell that signaled – heh, pun – the end of classes rang. Before she could even move an inch, Jaune stood in front of her desk.

"Yang, do you want to go on your graduation mission together with me?"

The sudden intrusion was surprising, to say the least. Yang expected the sort of thing from someone like Ruby, but not Jaune. "Uh, sure?" She'd been planning on asking Jaune anyways.

"That's _great!_ Did you want to go looking for a mission now?" her blonde friend asked. Jaune was… unusually fired up.

"Hey, slow down, Jaune. What's got you all riled, huh?" Yang stretched, climbing out of her seat. Jaune hadn't even been back in class for week, and he wanted to go on another mission? So soon?

She liked it.

"I want to try some new things out, and I'd rather not waste them on the range." Jaune said whilst patting a pouch on his thigh, as if that explained everything.

Which, to Yang, it didn't. "If you've got something you want to test in combat, why don't we just go spar?" the brawler suggested, eager for another match against Jaune. Their last one had left her wanting more.

"Well, uh... what I want to test..." Jaune rubbed the back of his head in what appeared to be embarrassment. "I don't think I should use against you."

What was _that_ supposed to mean? "You don't think I can handle whatever you throw at me?" Yang asked aggressively, eyes narrowed. Now she definitely wanted another spar, if only to lay the smackdown on her friend – for doubting her.

In response, Jaune's blue eyes widened, "No, Yang that's not what I meant! What I want to test out… I know you can handle it, believe me. But it's nothing I'd ever want to use on you. Or on anybody. Grimm only."

That sounded... ominous?

Yang sighed, way more stressed than she'd been a moment ago. She grabbed Jaune's wrist, holding it tightly "You know what? Let's do it. Let's go on a mission. Right. Now. Uncle Qrow!" She called, getting her huntsman uncle's attention.

Her uncle leisurely strolled over to the duo, smiling when he noticed how Yang had Jaune's arm in her grip. The classroom cleared of nearly all students, Qrow stated, "Yang, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to ask your father about getting married this young. He was the player, not me."

Yang was unamused, growling as she tightened her grip on Jaune's wrist, ignoring the blonde's cries of 'uncle.'

Qrow chuckled at that, gesturing to Jaune, "I see Jaune here's already got the right idea."

Yang released Jaune, the boy shaking his arm to get the blood flowing back into it.

"Mission. Grimm. Lots of them." Yang stated angrily. She really didn't want to ask again.

"Alright, alright. Fine. I'll get something for you, just don't put any holes in any desks. Or students." Qrow playfully placated, sitting down at his own desk. "I'll have something for you tomorrow morning."

Yang calmed, her uncle's words actually making her smile a little. How did he have such a way with words? She swore he could get her riled up in an instant, and then cool her down a moment later.

"Thanks uncle. Come on Jaune." She grabbed the blonde boy by his hood, practically dragging him along on the way out of the classroom. "You're going to tell me all about what you're going to be testing, and why you don't want to use it on me."

Yang didn't have to see Jaune's face to know he was smiling when he said "See you, Uncle Qrow!"

She also didn't have to tug very hard on his hood to make Jaune's head collide with the door frame on the way out.

* * *

The ferry lurched, and Jaune thought for a fleeting moment that he might possibly be motion sick again. Or maybe it was just some sort of pre-mission nerves catching up to him? He'd felt nothing before the Atlas mission, simply because Qrow had been with them.

But now? He and Yang were both on a ferry back to Vale, alone, on the way to their first independent mission.

Although, it wasn't truly independent. They were still going to be assisted by a huntsman or huntress – only it would be somebody they had not prior experience with. They were to meet up with their 'guide' at the Vale docks, and head out from there.

Their mission? Just a simple Grimm extermination, outside Vale. Something that made both Jaune and Yang rather happy. Yang explained to Jaune that she was pleased simply because she'd be able to let loose, something she'd been unable to do on their trip to Atlas.

Jaune himself? Well, he was happy because it would be a fight against something that wasn't human or faunus. Something that didn't have a soul.

Something that's life he wouldn't feel bad about snuffing out. A monster that had no reason to live.

"Jaune, are you alright?"

He turned to Yang with a brittle smile, forcing his fists to unclench. "Yeah, why?"

"You just started breathing really heavily. I was worried for a moment."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Jaune reassured, turning out to face the sea in front of him once more. Spotting the rapidly approaching city, he smiled – more honestly this time. " _Land ho!_ "

Yang leaned over to get a better look at his face, "Uhh, what?"

Jaune shook his head, smile not fading, "Nothing, let's go grab our things."

With their bags across their backs, the two strode up the pier. "Do you know who we're looking for?" Jaune asked Yang. She was the one who was technically in charge of the mission.

"Nope, my uncle just said they'd come find us here at the docks. Could that be her over there?" Yang pointed ahead.

Jaune followed her finger's trajectory, and saw the woman Yang was referring to.

Leaning up against a wall, idly inspecting her fingernails, there was a woman who clearly appeared to be a huntress. Everything about her practically screamed it: Her off-white clothing with its pale red trim was clearly designed to offer as much protection from the elements as it could, without impacting mobility. The grey leather armor she wore overtop protected only the areas that were most likely to be hit. She seemed to have noticed the two of them standing there, because she began walking towards the two.

That was when Jaune noticed the hilt of the weapon at her side, with a pouch below it. And studied her face in more detail.

No. There was no way. Absolutely _impossible_. She was definitely older looking than _that_ before.

"Jaune Arc." She stated clearly, even with her accent, stopping a few feet away, "That means you must be Yang Xiao Long."

"Got it in one." Yang happily responded, before turning to Jaune, "You two know each other?"

Jaune nodded curtly, before opening his mouth to speak.

"Hi Sherry."

* * *

 **Egads! A wild Sherry appears!**

 **I hope it isn't too much of a cliffhanger. I don't really consider it one; If anything, you guys have something to look forward to! And that makes me happy.**

 **Now then, as we all know, it probably isn't going to be a simple Grimm extermination, now is it? Or well... maybe it will be.**

 **Also, Crocea Mors is fine. Jaune's just... well... Jaune's an idiot. He'll figure it out eventually.**

 **'Till next time! :D**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	10. Rage and Release

**Hello Again!**

 **This took a lot longer than I thought it would to write - especially seeing as I actually planned a lot of this out. But no plan survives contact with the enemy.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Geez, this thing is _heavy_!" Yang exclaimed, having to hold Jaune's sword Crocea Mors with both of her hands. Jaune had never thought of Crocea Mors as being 'heavy' – but maybe that was because it was the sword he was most familiar with. Sure, when he'd first been shown it by his father when he was ten years old it had been ridiculously heavy, but he got used to the weight whenever he got the chance to practice with it at home.

For the young Arc, Crocea Mors wasn't heavy – Every other sword was just light. It was all a matter of perspective.

"Here, let me see." Sherry held a hand out, offering to take the sword out of Yang's hands.

"Hey, can we stop playing with my sword like it's some toy?" He'd given it to Yang because she wanted to see it – and because he trusted her. But Sherry? The woman who'd lied to him about being a huntress, the one who he was now currently repaying a favor to? He didn't exactly trust the woman right now. "It's an heirloom, my great-grandfather used it-"

"Wow, this thing really _is_ heavy! How do you even fight with this?" Unlike Yang, however, Sherry didn't show any strain as she stood and gave the weapon a few one-handed practice swings. She then flipped it and caught it by the blade, as one might a small knife, before offering it hilt first for Jaune to take. "It's well balanced though. A fine blade."

"Thanks." Jaune said the word with a tinge of bitterness, returning the blade to the top of his shield.

The two students and their huntress guide were currently in the cargo bay of yet another Bullhead. However, unlike the one that had transported Yang, Qrow and Jaune from the Atlas airport to the lab three weeks ago, this one was packed full of crates of supplies; a delivery to the village that was to be their base of operations for the duration of their 'search and destroy' mission.

'Nyurse' was the name of the village. A mining town, protected by natural barricades, man-made walls and a local militia. Recently, the militia had reported an increase in Grimm activity in the area, and wanted assistance with their extermination – before a collapse could occur.

Jaune remembered what his mother had told him about collapses. He'd assumed such a thing was only possible with a large kingdom such as Vale, but he then rationalized that it could happen to even the smallest settlements.

"So," Sherry took a seat again, "Jaune."

Jaune took a deep breath, reigning in his anger. "What do you want?"

"Yang told me all about how you _really_ wanted to go on this mission. How you were going to be testing some sort of new weapon or something?"

"She did? When?" Jaune asked with a hint of confusion.

Jaune couldn't recall the two talking about anything like that. He surely would have heard them, simply because he'd hung off of every single one of Sherry's words since they met hours earlier, waiting for her to slip up and accidentally mention some kind of ulterior motive for being there.

"It was when you went to the washroom back at the airport, Jaune." Yang commented offhandedly, playing with her long mane of hair, but simultaneously keeping her eyes on him.

That was when Jaune realized why she told Sherry. He still hadn't told her anything about what he was going to be testing.

And getting Sherry to ask instead? Brilliant work on Yang's part.

Jaune figured he could at least give them both a little hint. He reached into his pouch, and pulled out a single one of his .50 cal rounds. "It's not really a weapon..."

However, instead of the standard bullet at the 'top' of the cartridge, there was a carved dust crystal, with a clear blue exterior and a white center that was just barely visible. Frost Dust with a Light core. He passed the rifle round to Sherry, who took a closer look.

Despite himself, he trusted the older woman more than Yang with anything that could be potentially explosive.

Yang looked... unamused? "Dust bullets? Really? You don't even have your semblance yet, what are you going to do with those?"

"Actually, Yang..." It was Sherry that answered, much to Jaune's surprise. "These aren't quite exactly what you're thinking of. This here," She tossed the round to Yang, making Jaune tense up, "is a cartridge designed to convey the effects of the Dust at a distance. As a projectile."

While Yang inspected the round that she caught – much to Jaune's relief – Sherry leaned closer to Jaune and quietly asked: "Where did you find someone who could make Dust projectiles?"

Jaune opened his mouth to respond, then paused. Should he tell her that he made them himself? Would she even believe him? Could he avoid the question? Should he _lie_ to her, like she did to him?

He had to suppress a cruel smile as he whispered what came to mind, "How long have you been a huntress for? A month?"

It looked like Sherry had to think about that for a second. She then sighed, before shaking her head briefly, "I guess I sorta deserve that one, don't I? Sorry about lying ta' you about that, kid."

"Why _did_ you in the first place?" Jaune glanced over at Yang, who was holding the bullet up to the light above, examining it closer. She wasn't secretly listening, was she?

Nah, Yang was about as subtle as an Ursa.

"Honestly speaking? I did it for fun."

"For... fun?" That was the reason? Jaune found that hard to believe.

"Yeah, sometimes I like ta' trick people. It's quite exhilarating. Also, it's so worth it when someone sees what I look like without a disguise; Like you, just at the docks a few hours ago. You were standing there with your mouth agape when you realized who I was. It was fantastic." Sherry explained.

"So you were wearing a disguise on the boat then? Why?"

"...For fun"

For fun. Got it. Jaune felt a headache coming along. One named Sherry. He clenched his fists, anger rising.

"So are you going to tell me? Where you got your ammo?" Sherry asked again.

Jaune sighed, pulling another from his pouch. This one was light blue, with a red pattern on the surface – Burn and Frost Dust. He practically shoved it into Sherry's hand, "I made them myself." he said, still irate.

"I see, you made these- Wait, you made these _yourself_?"

"Yeah." Was that really so hard to believe? What did she take him for? Sure, Jaune had borrowed quite a lot from his aunt's book, but once you learned how to do it, it was relatively simple. The hardest part was carving the Dust crystals – both pre-Cut and Uncut – into the proper shape. Jaune no doubt 'wasted' roughly a thousand lien worth of Dust due to unfortunate fractures in the cutting process.

What he 'wasted' was simply ground by hand and used anyways, but that was besides the point.

"What does this one do? It doesn't look like a simple Frost shot." Sherry asked, referring to the round in her hand.

Jaune half-smiled, glad that the redheaded huntress was slightly interested. Of course it wouldn't be a simple Frost shot. "It's _Burn_ and Frost – it generates a mist on impact. Kinda like a smokescreen. It's the only one I've actually tested."

"Clever," Sherry noted. _Flattery will get you nowhere, Sherry_. She nodded towards Yang, "And the one Yang's got?"

"That one... is Frost Dust with a Light Dust core. I haven't tested it yet, but theoretically, and only theoretically, it might double as long range light source." Jaune described.

"So it's not lethal?"

"If anything it's my most lethal. It's the same as proper Frost Dust, but with a fancy light show. By my calculations, there's enough Dust in that one shot to cover an entire Ursa in ice."

"It's impressive." Sherry complimented.

"It's also dangerous." Jaune said as he took the round Yang had – before she began taking it apart – much to the blonde girl's displeasure. He didn't want Yang to live the rest of her life as a _radiant ice sculpture_.

"I was more talking about how you made them." Sherry added, handing Jaune the round she had. "I knew of someone who used Dust rounds like yours once before, but I didn't know him very well."

"Past tense?" Yang decided to join the conversation, her source of temporary entertainment now secure in Jaune's pouch.

"Yeah, he fell off the grid a long while back. Don't know what happened to him."

Jaune found that odd, but refused to comment, now that Yang had joined the conversation.

The Bullhead lurched ever so slightly, and the three companions climbed to their feet. They all shared a knowing smile – except for Jaune, who tried to keep an impassive visage – while Sherry began to chuckle.

"I guess this isn't your guys' first flight, is it?"

"Nope, we're used to them at this point." Yang said, as Jaune nodded along with his jaw clenched, still annoyed at Sherry.

The three already had their packs slung across their backs and were standing at the cargo hatch, by the time the co-pilot's voice came over the intercom telling them that they'd be 'landing shortly'.

* * *

To Yang, the village of Nyurse wasn't exactly all that. It didn't have the excited chatter of city folk just going about their day; there was no dull hum of automotive activity from a nearby highway. All in all, it was very.. _plain_. It was like Patch, but only if Patch didn't have that sense of community and friendly air about it. But she supposed with the evening approaching, the atmosphere wasn't quite what she expected.

Besides the people who were unloading cargo from the Bullhead they came in on, not a single person seemed to be outdoors, likely all crammed into the wood and stone houses before her, enjoying time with their family.

How anyone would want to live out here, Yang had no clue. When she'd heard that her and Jaune were going to be hunting the Grimm from within a small village, she was simply happy to have the possibility to travel more.

"So what do you think?" Sherry, the redheaded huntress that was her and Jaune's companion walked beside her, looking around for the Inn that was to be their lodging. Jaune himself was behind her, but by the expression on his face, he was deep in thought about something.

"I was certainly expecting something more... lively, I guess? I mean, I've was on the inside of a Schnee lab in Atlas while it was under siege, and this place seems way less... lively than that." Yang answered honestly.

Sherry smiled halfheartedly, "You're probably right. It isn't good for these people either; as you know, negativity attracts the Grimm. But that's also why we're here, isn't it?"

"You mean to fight the Grimm?" Yang asked.

Sherry stared ahead, while Yang studied her face, trying to see what the older huntress was getting at. "We are not just here ta' fight Grimm. You're about ta' figure out another thing we huntresses do, very shortly."

Yang followed her line of sight, and saw two kids – a boy and a girl, both with dark brown hair – watching them expectantly, whispering to each other. Out of the corner of her eye, Yang saw Sherry wave to them. In response, the two children smiled and ran forward, excitedly.

"Miss, are you a huntress?" the girl asked, stopping in front of Sherry. To Yang, it looked as if the girl was the more outspoken one, with the boy next to her fidgeting in place, looking at Jaune with awe, though Yang's male companion didn't notice it – no doubt lost in his own thoughts.

Sherry laughed at that, "You bet I am! Here ta' take care of a little Grimm problem you guys seem to have. Don't worry, those monster's will never get ya', not as long as I draw breath!"

The smile that appeared on the little girl's face was infectious; Yang found herself smiling right along. Sherry kneeled down, getting the attention of the boy who'd been staring at Jaune as well, "What're your names?"

"I'm Sierra. This is my brother Gawain. Say hi, Gawain."

"...Hello." The shy boy said quietly, not making eye contact with either Yang or Sherry, instead looking towards Jaune again, who acknowledged the young boy with a light smile and a nod. Aww, wasn't that just adorable?

Jaune then stepped forward, crouching in front of the boy much like Sherry had. "Hey there Gawain. My name's Jaune. Nice to meet you." The blonde then held out a hand for Gawain to take.

The kid hesitated a moment, before placing his hand in Jaune's own and shaking it. Jaune stood back up shortly after, offering the kid another smile before moving to take a place at Yang's side.

So apparently Jaune was good with kids? "I didn't expect you to do that." Yang commented, watching as the girl Sierra chatted more with Sherry.

"Neither did I. It just sort of... felt right." Jaune explained, whispering.

Yang saw Sherry hand Sierra something small, wrapped in foil – candy? – and the girl took off with her brother's hand held in hers, before turning to look back, waiting.

"I asked her ta' show us where the Inn is, in return for some chocolate. Let's go."

"Why?" Jaune asked sharply, surprising Yang with the bluntness. Yang was about to retaliate on Sherry's behalf, telling Jaune exactly how rude he was being. Despite what Jaune may think, she'd noticed the tension between her friend and the huntress since they met at the docks. She tuned out their little argument on the Bullhead, whatever that had been about, but that didn't mean she _ignored_ it.

But Sherry was quicker to react. "Whatever do you mean, Jaune?"

"We can easily find the Inn on our own. In a village this small, it shouldn't be too hard. Why bribe the kids to guide us?" Yang noticed Jaune's tone rising.

Why was he so frustrated? What was there to be angry about? Hell, Jaune was supposed to be the level-headed one – even Yang knew that!

"Come, allow me to explain." Sherry began walking, following the children who were to be their guides. "Those kids? I can guarantee that there are other's in this village; likely friends. Sierra will spread the tale of 'the kind huntress who gave them candy'. What do you think the benefit of that is?"

Yang was able to supply an answer, remembering the discussion she had with Sherry before meeting the two children. "It will make the kids happy?"

"Exactly. The kids will be happy. And, being a parent myself, there is no better feeling than seeing your kids happy. Coupled with the fact that there is a huntress in town, going out ta' fight the Grimm that hound the walls? _Everyone_ is happy, and everyone feels _safe_."

Jaune responded this time, slightly less bitter. "And that counters the negativity?"

"Not just counter, but _eliminate_. Being a huntsman or a huntress isn't just about fighting Grimm – It's about making people feel safe in their homes, so that Grimm don't come knocking on their doors."

"I... I see." Jaune confirmed, before he sighed. "I'm sorry, Sherry. I shouldn't have lashed out like that. I'm... I guess I'm just a little stressed."

"You're right. You shouldn't have. But I accept your apology. Now turn that frown upside down – preferably before you start frightening people. It wouldn't do for us to have one kind huntress who gives out candy, and her companion that scowls all the time now would it?"

They arrived at the Inn. Or so Sierra told them, before thanking Sherry and running off, her brother in tow. For some reason, Yang couldn't help but liken Sierra to herself, and Gawain to Ruby. At least, when they were younger.

"Alright then. You two head on inside." Sherry yawned. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon – they'd have to wait until the next day before they'd be able to actually get any hunting in. "As much as I'd love ta' turn in, I've still got ta' go talk ta' the leader of the militia, see what the situation is. You guy's get the two bed suite – I get the one bed. Things should be already taken care of, just ask for the keys at the front desk."

Yang nodded, "Got it. See you later, Sherry." She turned to the blonde knight. "Come on Jaune, let's head inside."

They got the keys from the old lady who ran the Inn, and went up to their rooms. The place was very... rustic, but it felt exceptionally comfortable to be walking within the wooden halls. Something about the place made it feel really... _homely_? _Home like_? Whatever.

At least when they got to the room, Yang noticed it had a lot more in it than what they had at the lab in Atlas had. There was a desk, a few chairs, and a coffee table. The two bed's were side by each, a decent distance between them.

Jaune's words reflected her thoughts exactly. "I like it here." the boy said.

"Yeah, it's better than the lab at least." Yang noticed Jaune wince at the mention of the lab. Was he still not over that? Sure the mission had to have been stressful for him, but really, it had been three weeks since the attack. She'd have to nip that in the bud soon.

But that could wait; there was something else Yang had to address. "So... why are you so mad at Sherry? You two knew each other from before, right?"

Jaune sat on the end of one of the beds. "Kinda." He replied simply. Yang smiled at the fact that he was actually telling her, as opposed to avoiding it. "I met her on the ferry to Vale on my way home for the Color Holidays."

So recently? What had she done to piss Jaune off so much then?

"She helped me out when I was sick, gave me some medicine. After I was feeling better, we started talking." Jaune paused, scratching his head. "I noticed her weapon, and I asked her if she was a huntress..."

"Yeah?"

"She said she wasn't."

Oh. "Well, that's weird. Why would she tell you that?" as far as Yang could tell, Sherry was a huntress; Through and through.

"That's just the thing. I don't know why she would lie to me about something like that. Especially considering she didn't lie about anything else she said. Like, she gave her real name, where she was from – That's all the same as what she told us on the Bullhead.

"But for what reason would she lie to me about being a huntress? It doesn't make any sense."

Yang couldn't deny it. There _was_ something fishy about it. But all the same: "Sherry doesn't seem to be a person who does things for no reason. Maybe she was on some sort of secret mission or something, where no one could know she was a huntress?"

Jaune adopted a thoughtful pose. "I suppose that could be possible. But then again, Sherry also mentioned that she still hunted Grimm, despite not having graduated from an academy, so I think that rules it out."

Yang could only have one response to that. " _Weird_."

"Right?"

Now Yang was curious. "Did you confront her about it?"

"Yeah, on the Bullhead coming in." Ah, that had been what they were talking about, and what made Jaune so... _difficult_ "She said she did it for fun."

"… for fun?"

Jaune barked a short, bitter laugh, before pointing a finger at Yang, "That was my reaction exactly!"

Well, that would certainly be enough of a reason to make Yang even slightly ticked. How did someone explain away something like lying by saying they did it for fun?

Yang sighed, "You know what? I'm not even going to try. Let's just... ignore this for now. We'll come back to it later."

Yang laid down on her bed, head resting against the dense pillow that accompanied it. Well, this was as good a time as any... "Hey, Jaune?"

Her traveling companion had pulled a leather backed book out of his bag, and sat on the edge of own bed, facing Yang. "What is it?"

"I've been meaning to ask you this – for quite a while, actually. Do you remember that time I told you that I thought I had the wrong impression of you, but you went on to say that I wasn't wrong, and that it was you that changed?"

"Yeah, I remember that conversation like yesterday." Jaune commented, eyes scanning the pages of the book he was reading.

"What caused you to change? It was like you did a complete turnaround."

Jaune looked up from his book, looking into Yang's eyes. They stared at each other for about a minute, Jaune likely trying to think up a suitable answer.

Yang meanwhile, was trying to guess at what it could have been. Did he have some sort of epiphany? Maybe some outside help? Someone tutoring him? It could have been anything.

Ohhh, maybe he had a girl he wanted to impress back on Patch, and was working harder because of that? That would be _juicy_ , but the thought somehow made Yang... _nervous_.

"I guess I kinda realized just how important studying really is." Jaune laughed awkwardly – a sure sign that he was avoiding telling her the truth.

Oh come on! "Jaune, that can't be all! You know you can tell me~" Yang climbed out of bed, moving to sit next to the blonde boy. If she'd learned anything, it was that close proximity to the boy was a good way to get what she wanted. Or, at the very least, make him uncomfortable enough to slip up. She never missed the way he blushed when she was close to him. He was just so _easy_ sometimes. But there were other times where he was a challenge.

Yang was distracted from her usual strategy however, when she noticed him slam the book shut when she got near. Oh?

"Whatcha' reading there Jaune?" She'd never seen him with the book before. It's leather cover was marred, it's title long since worn. Whatever it was though, she knew she had him cornered as his mouth opened and closed, trying to form words.

"It's... I uhh, It's- It's a journal! My journal. Yeah. My..."

Jaune let out a lengthy sigh, "It's not my journal."

That was... an interesting reaction? "Then who's _is_ it?"

"It... It belonged to my aunt. It was her journal, before she died." Jaune stared into blank space, an invisible speck of dust catching his attention. "I never knew my aunt. She was a huntress, like both of my parents. My mother sent me her journal one day in the mail, and I... I began reading it."

Yang was unsure what to say. It was like the mood took a sharp turn to the left, and she wanted to go right; it just wasn't going to happen. "I... I see."

"I wanted to change," Jaune said after a moment of silence. "I wanted to be like her. Reading the things she wrote... She was _smart,_ Yang. A genius. If I'm going to become a huntsman, I want to be like her. Smart, dependable, capable; A leader."

Yang smiled as she put a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Well, I don't know about smart, but you're certainly capable. And dependable. If you weren't, it's possible you might have died in the Schnee lab." _I might have died in the lab_.

She felt him shudder.

"Jaune? What's wrong?" Yang leaned forwards, to get a better look at her friend's face, still staring into blank space. He was shivering now, but it wasn't cold at all in the room.

"If I was more capable." his voice was quiet like a whisper, but it rumbled. "If I was more _dependable._ If I was either of those, people wouldn't have died in that lab Yang!" He turned to her, eyes watering.

Yang froze at his words. At seeing his tearing face. She was unable to respond.

"If... If I was more skilled, I wouldn't have had to _kill_ those faunus! I could have saved them! I'm... I'm a _monster_!"

Yang did the only thing she could, an instinct acquired from having to deal with a crying Ruby after a particularly brutal nightmare – she grabbed Jaune, and pulled him into a hug, as gently as she could.

"You are _no_ monster." she whispered, as he sobbed into her shoulder. Jaune was wearing his chestplate, so rubbing his back was out of the question. Instead, Yang took one hand, and started gently rubbing the blonde's head.

And thus they sat, Jaune bawling continuously as Yang's shoulder grew more damp with each passing second. The minutes stretched, but Yang didn't care; she just wanted her friend to be okay. She wanted him to let it all out.

Eventually, Jaune stopped shuddering. But Yang didn't let go – she didn't dare let go – as she continued to rub the back of his head. She did release him however, when he began to pull away. She didn't want to, but she realized she may have overstepped her bounds.

"I..." both Jaune's face and eyes were red – both from embarrassment and the recent emotional strain. "I'm _pathetic_."

Yang reacted instantly, putting a finger to Jaune's lips, surprising the knight. "You are _anything_ but pathetic Jaune Arc. If you say that ever again, I will _kick your ass_ from here to Menagerie, you hear me?"

And that was a promise Yang knew that Jaune would take seriously.

Plus, when she pulled away her finger – _how had it gotten there in the first place_? – it got a smile out of her equally blonde friend, so that was a bonus right?

"Thanks Yang. For..."

"Being an over-sized tissue? No problem." Yang grinned.

"Yeah, that."

They sat for a moment longer, Yang's hand on Jaune's shoulder, before she asked "Wanna talk about it?"

Jaune nodded, sniffling. "Sure. I think I'd like that."

* * *

 **Ho boy, that was a ride. I know a lot of you probably don't need the emotional stuff right now, but I figured i'd do it anyways. Chapter's kinda short, but I feel like I had to end it there. Simply transitioning to someone else's PoV or skipping to the next day would feel so out of place.**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	11. Horizon

**Hello again!**

 **Another Chapter, so soon? What do you mean?**

 **It's surprising how quickly you can write when you've actually got stuff planned out. Like, really. I'm pretty much putting this out ASAP, because I hate to keep you guys waiting any longer than I have to.**

 **It doesn't help that reading some of you guys' reviews gets me giddy like a schoolgirl and really inspires me to write more.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jaune took a lengthy swig from his canteen. Killing Grimm was thirsty work, especially considering that himself, Yang, and Sherry were currently on the longest hunt of his life.

They'd left the town of Nyurse the moment the sun crested the horizon. Sherry led them in the direction the last pack of Beowolves were spotted in, according to the militia scouts. To that, Yang had made a request, of both Jaune and of Sherry: for them to leave the entire first pack to her.

Sherry said there was no problem with that – she wasn't meant to actively participate in the hunt anyways – and Jaune understood exactly why she wanted to take on all the Beowolves herself. It was one of the many things they'd talked about the night before. She decimated the first pack of Beowolves they came across, finally able to let loose, and then they moved on.

The night before, after Jaune's rather embarrassing – to him – breakdown, he and Yang talked about lots of things. Jaune discussed what he'd been feeling ever since the White Fang raid on the lab; how he was ultimately crushed by what he had to do – what he had done.

Yang was accepting; There was no other word for it. She listened, asked questions when she didn't quite get something, and more than anything, she made him feel better _._

She explained if he didn't feel anything about killing those faunus at the lab, then he would be a 'monster'. She expressed how their deaths were an unfortunate necessity, and how if he hadn't done what he'd done, that those people could have gone on to hurt others.

That by killing those Fang, he'd saved lives.

Jaune... Jaune already knew that. Only before, he hadn't been willing to justify it. Would the Schnee heiress, Weiss, have been forced to kill them herself if Jaune hadn't? Would she have been injured, possible caught if he hadn't?

As far as Jaune knew, the girl had went for non-lethal blows when she could, but surely without Jaune there to help, she'd have eventually had to kill one or two.

Yang also pointed out that if Jaune hadn't killed those faunus, the Schnee heiress – or anyone else in the facility – might have been the ones to do it.

After that, Yang went on and talked about how helpless she'd felt during the whole altercation. How she couldn't help, even if she wanted. How she wished she could have been there fighting alongside Jaune.

They talked until they were too tired to talk anymore, and then quickly fell asleep.

The blonde boy shook his head, as he realized just how far his thoughts had wandered. Jaune screwed the cap back on his canteen, clipping it on his belt loop. Him and Sherry were currently watching from the top of a tall rock, in a plains-like area at the edge of a forest, as Yang punched her way through some Beowolves.

Literally. The beasts might as well have been made of paper, the way the blonde brawler's punches ripped through them.

Sherry had been content to allow the two students to take on the majority of the work. The woman was an expert on tracking Grimm, apparently, using any number of signs to determine where there was another pack of Beowolves, or, in a particularly interesting case, a herd of Boarbutusks.

Unfortunately for Jaune, Beowolves and Boarbatusks were all they'd come across so far. He'd wanted to test some of his new rounds on bigger Grimm, like an Ursa Major or a King Taijitu. If one of his normal .50 cal rounds was enough to punch a sizeable hole in a Beowolf, he didn't want to waste his Dust on something that could be dispatched so simply.

Sherry had also wanted Jaune to conserve his regular ammo, something the blonde could agree with. Even using his normal rounds would be a waste considering just how easy it was to take Crocea Mors and cut down the enemies they had so far.

Jaune smiled as he shook his head. He'd never would have thought something like that just over a month ago. How _easy_ it was to kill Grimm.

"Ha ha ha, yeah!" Yang's laughter rang all the way up to the duo standing on the rock, as she sent a fist straight into the bone plated face of yet another Beowolf. The wolf Grimm was sent flying, falling to the ground with it's 'mask' shattered, dead.

"She's a really good fighter. You don't see many huntresses capable of killing Grimm with one punch – and I've been around." Sherry commented.

"Yang's good – really good – but you should see what her sister can do. She can cross the distance from here to the edge of the forest and bisect a Beowolf in under a second." Jaune reminisced, the image of the red cloaked girl standing at the top of the hill, a dead Beowolf behind her had been burned into his mind.

"No kidding? She must be quite the huntress."

Jaune felt a certain pride in saying: "She's two years younger than Yang and I. Not even a huntress yet."

"...Impressive."

Yang sent a fist into the gut of the last Beowolf in the clearing, one that had charged Yang from behind. The Grimm stopped dead in its tracks – again, literally – before it collapsed into a heap, slowly beginning to dissipate.

Sherry hopped down from their perch, the battle over, and Jaune followed.

"Jaune. Water." Yang panted out between breaths, hand outstretched towards Jaune. He could tell the girl wasn't truly winded or anything like that, but she had been moving constantly for a good five minutes straight; again having wanted to take on this entire pack herself.

"Yours is already empty?" They'd refilled their canteens from a stream not even an hour ago. Jaune grabbed his canteen, tossing it to his fellow blonde. Yang nodded, quickly unscrewing the cap before taking big gulps as she swiftly drank the contents.

She pulled the canteen from her lips – something Jaune, being the teenager he was, struggled _not_ to notice – before letting out a satisfied sigh. Yang handed him back the canteen, now empty, and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be another stream you can refill it at. Hey, Sherry..."

"Yeah?" The huntress was inspecting the ground where the Beowolf bodies lay. Despite the scarred and marred ground where their clawed feet had dug in, Jaune was sure she was still looking for more signs that would tell her the whereabouts of more Grimm.

"How are we doing for the killcount?" Yang asked excitedly.

Sherry's pale fingers traced patterns in the ground as she responded. "Honestly, we're doing very well. I had the Inn rooms booked for three days, but currently it seems like we may only have needed two. If you guys keep it up, you might just end up with an extra day just ta' relax back in the village."

Jaune smiled at the thought. An extra day off, in addition to having completed their mission? That sounded great.

"I'd say we're about half done," Sherry added "and all we've fought so far are Beowolves and Boarbatusks. If we find some Ursa or anything considered more dangerous, we might be done even faster."

Yang nodded, grinning, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"There is _one_ thing that is troubling me actually," the redheaded huntress gestured to a marking left in the ground. It certainly didn't look like the footprint of a Beowolf to Jaune. "I didn't really want to mention this, but it's better you guys are informed. I've never seen this kind of footprint before. And I've been a huntress for seventeen years."

 _Not a month then_? Jaune smiled to himself, before wiping it away when he realized just what it was that Sherry meant.

"Do you mean to say that there's a new type of Grimm out here in this area?" Yang asked uncertainly. And for good reason. For the Grimm, different was bad – different meant that there was a chance it could be too powerful for them to handle. Too difficult to kill.

"No, that isn't exactly what I mean." Jaune sighed in relief, "Although, it's a possibility, it's more likely that it's a Grimm that I myself am not familiar with. Some Grimm are restricted to certain regions or habitats. I spend a lot more time in Atlas and Mistral, so I'm less familiar with the more unique creatures of Vale and Vacuo."

"What kind of Grimm do they have there? In Atlas and Mistral." Jaune could list a few of the ones unique to Vale himself, but knowing what Sherry had experience with might narrow down the list of possibilities.

"What you typically see down here. Most commonly it's Ursai and Beowolves, but we've got a lot more Creeps up on Solitas than Sanus does. There's more King Taijitu in the swampy areas around Mistral as well."

Jaune looked down at the track, puzzled. "What do you think left this though?"

"Well, King Taijitu don't have feet, and Creeps mostly live underground, so that rules them out. What do you think Yang?"

"Way too small to be a Goliath, obviously. Can't be a Nevermore; the tree's would have been disturbed..." Yang looked closer.

"Good observati- _move_!"

Jaune didn't hesitate, leaping forwards as Sherry ran past him, drawing her weapon. He heard the loud ' _ting'_ of bone hitting metal and turned, pulling his gun from his back.

A glowing orange stinger was being held back by Sherry, her weapon – whatever it was, it was surprisingly small – crossed in front of her.

Was it safe to say that the track was left by a Deathstalker?

Sherry pushed the Deathstalker's stinger back, before hopping back to stand between Jaune and Yang, both with their weapons at the ready.

A greyish green moss stuck to the Deathstalker's numerous bony plates – a clear indication that it was one _old_ Grimm. How did it even sneak up on them?

"What do we do?" Jaune asked Sherry, examining her weapon. It was very unassuming, a simple metal rod the length of her arm. It certainly didn't look like it had any power – more of a weapon meant to be fought with using finesse, aiming at vulnerable areas.

Judging from the amount of armor this Deathstalker had, it had very few vulnerable areas.

"Well, you've been waiting all day for a big Grimm to test your rounds on." Yang called from past Sherry. "Here it is."

Jaune felt his heart beat faster at the suggestion. "Got it." He reached into his pouch, pulling out the Frost-Light hybrid he'd shown Sherry and Yang on the Bullhead ride.

He loaded it – quick as he could – as the Deathstalker began to charge forwards. "Get clear!" He yelled, as he fired a couple of normal rounds to get the scorpion Grimm's attention. Jaune ran backwards, aiming for the eyes. The eyes appeared to be the most vulnerable part, yet when one of his bullets hit the glowing red-orange target, the Grimm wasn't even wounded.

Eventually, Jaune had his back against the rock he and Sherry had stood on earlier. The Deathstalker charged Jaune, it's pincers crossed in front of it's face to protect against any more incoming shots. Jaune jumped over the charging Grimm, using Crocea Mors' shield to block the stinger that followed up. The Deathstalker practically ignored the fact that it just collided with such a large obstacle, the rock splintering into pieces as it broke through.

Jaune was propelled quite the distance away, further from the forest, but it gave him more time. He flicked his arm, extending his rifle's barrel, and took aim as he slid along the ground.

Sherry, Yang, and even the forest ahead of him was forgotten in that moment. All that remained in Jaune's world was himself, the Deathstalker, and the distance between them.

And then he pulled the trigger.

And his world was filled with light.

Jaune's bullet shone brighter than the sun in the sky as it carved a path through the open space on it's way towards the Deathstalker. But Jaune couldn't look away, despite his eyes' protests. The Dust projectile impacted the face of the Deathstalker just as it was about to charge again. There was an odd ripple, as shards of ice began to spontaneously form along the body of the scorpion, the crystal-like ice glowing with the remnants of the Light Dust.

The entire black and white body of the Deathstalker was covered in ice, from it's face plate to the base of its tail. The only parts that weren't were it's pincers, it's legs, and the end of it's tail, where the stinger was.

Nothing moved. And then suddenly, the ice shattered.

Initially, Jaune thought his experimental shot a failure. But then he saw it wasn't just the ice that was breaking. The off-white bone plating that covered the majority of the Deathstalker's body cracked and began to flake off. It did so slowly at first, before in an instant, nearly all of the Deathstalker's armor had fallen off. The only armor left was what hadn't been touched – at the pincers.

Jaune didn't even know when he'd loaded another round. Had his hands moved on their own? He didn't even know _what_ round he'd loaded; but as he slid the bolt forwards with a satisfying click, Jaune pulled the trigger a second time.

The Deathstalker screeched as it's body combusted, the roaring inferno consuming it as it spasmed in apparent pain. The flames seemed to stick to its body, as if attracted by some unseen force.

 _Ah, the Energy-Burn shot then_.

After a few seconds, the screeching of the dying Grimm ceased. The ground shook briefly as Jaune saw the insectoid Grimm's legs collapse underneath it.

In just two shots, the Deathstalker was dead.

Jaune looked around, and quickly caught sight of where Sherry and Yang were standing at the edge of the woods. Sherry was glancing back and forth between Jaune's weapon and the dead Deathstalker, eyes showing apparent appreciation. Yang, however, had her mouth agape, a look of utter surprise on her face as she stared at Jaune.

Perhaps taking a page out of Ruby's book, he pulled back on the bolt of his rifle dramatically, ejecting the spent casing.

" _What was that!_ " Yang shouted from where she was standing, still in utter disbelief, pointing to the dead Deathstalker. Jaune himself was shaking with excitement and adrenaline. He ran towards the other two, his legs practically jelly beneath him.

Jaune smiled giddily, " _That..._ is what I didn't want to test on you in a spar." And for _very_ good reason, he noted.

"That's..." Sherry sighed, rubbing her forehead. " _Destructive_."

"I told you they were dangerous." Jaune added, still excited from how well his Dust rounds performed.

"You weren't wrong. Say, Jaune...?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the effective range on that rifle of yours?" Sherry asked.

Jaune thought about that for a moment, "I'm not really sure, I haven't really tested that quite yet. Why?" He could hit the farthest target at Signal's range, but at only one hundred and fifty yards that wasn't saying much.

"Because if you get a scope on that thing, then you should be able ta' hit a target at over five hundred yards. At that point, the only Grimm that will be safe from you are the ones beyond the horizon."

Jaune looked down at the rifle in his hands. He'd yet have it painted, but Crocea Mors' shield still needed a new paint job too. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone?

 _Horizon_ , huh?

He liked it.

"Anyways, I think that's enough for today. We should get back to Nyurse." Sherry explained, noting the time on her scroll "We're going to encounter more Grimm on the way back anyways. We can kill as we move, and besides..." she gestured to the slowly disappearing corpse of the Deathstalker, "Something of that size should count for more than a couple hundred Beowolves."

Jaune nudged Yang. "If you've been counting, that means I'm winning."

Yang shook her head back, "Still only counts as one."

* * *

Jaune leaned with his back against the windowsill, breathing in the cool night air. He flipped the page in his book, eager to find out what happened next.

 _Oh Umi, you dirty girl_.

At home, he never would have dared open a window in the late days of winter, but in their Inn room – consistently filling with steam – he felt like he had a good enough reason.

But just how hot was the water that Yang was showering with?

One might think Jaune insane, that he – a hormone driven teenage boy – was reading smut while there was an attractive girl showering just on the other side of a thin wooden door.

But those same people who would think Jaune insane clearly didn't know Yang Xiao Long very well.

Yang's rule for Jaune back in Atlas, when they'd shared a room there with Qrow, had been: 'Look, and you die.' It didn't help that Qrow had also been there to enforce that rule. Jaune had weighed his options then, and decided to chose life.

The door to the bathroom had water vapor rolling from out underneath it, courtesy of Yang. For the water to have been generating that much steam, it had to have been nearly boiling. Jaune wasn't sure if Yang was simply cleaning herself in there, or making soup.

He heard the tap turn off, and he closed the window. Almost instantly, it fogged up from the warmth and moisture.

Jaune made sure to avert his eyes as the bathroom door opened.

"Shower's all yours Jaune." Yang called as she walked over to her bed, her legs all Jaune permitted himself to see, using his hands as blinders.

Jaune tossed his book on his bed, moving towards the bathroom. He made sure his view of Yang was obscured. She'd trusted him not to look, and he wasn't about to betray that trust.

He turned on the water, and stripped down in preparation. He patiently waited for the water to warm up, testing the temperature with his hand.

Just to realize that it simply would not happen. For Yang had used the last of the hot water. Jaune sighed as he considered complaining, but upon realizing the futility of that pursuit the boy condemned himself to a cold shower.

Before he jumped in, however, he realized he hadn't brought his own soap, and that the Inn didn't provide any – unlike most hotels in Vale would.

He cracked open the bathroom door, sticking his head out, and called out to Yang, "Hey Yang, can I borrow some... soap...?"

The girl was wearing her night-clothes – a orange tank-top and short black shorts – but that wasn't what caught Jaune's attention.

She was sitting cross-legged on _his_ bed. Reading _his_ copy of Ninjas of Love.

 _Oh no_.

Qrow was going to _kill him_.

Yang looked up from Jaune's currently least favorite piece of wonderful literature – the one that brought doom upon his world – an epic grin on her face. "Jaune~~!"

The blonde boy knew his face was beet red. He slowly pulled his head back inside the bathroom before closing the door, smacking his head against it a couple times for good measure. Despite how embarrassed he felt about the whole situation, he couldn't help but smile as he heard Yang's laughter from the other side.

Okay, so no hot water, and now no soap. Great.

Jaune took his shower – his brutally cold shower – and then toweled himself off. He got dressed in his own sleepwear shortly after. He didn't pack his onesie – Yang said that _she'd_ burn it if she saw it again – instead just wearing simple grey pajama pants and a black tank-top.

When he exited the bathroom, he'd been expecting... something else? Yang was simply laying down – on her _own bed_ this time – still reading Ninjas of Love. She didn't even acknowledge that he was there, as he went and crawled under his own covers.

Maybe everything was going to be okay?

"Okay, so how does Rin know Shiro? This doesn't make any sense." Yang said to herself, still not realizing that Jaune was there.

...Or maybe not.

He rested his head against the pillow at the head of his bed, closing his eyes as he drifted away to sleep.

* * *

 **Another shorter chapter, my apologizes. But we've finally got a name for Jaune's weapon, so yay! Plus, a little more exposition, as well as a slight hint of things to come - I wonder if any of you picked up on it?**

 **And what will be the consequences of Yang reading one of Jaune's favorite books? We'll find out next ti- What do you mean we won't find out next time? WHAT?**

 **Any complaints about Jaune's overwhelming victory over the Deathstalker? Please examine exhibit A: Coco's minigun turning one into chunks in V2E12.**

 **Yeah. That's what I thought.**

 **'till next time!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	12. First Responders

**Hey All! Another chapter from me, to you!**

 **It's been a week, can you believe it? It feels like so much longer than that, though. I don't know what it is.**

 **I have a feeling some of you might like this one, for reasons that must go unmentioned. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so exciting!**

* * *

Jaune dragged Crocea Mors skyward, summoning every ounce of his strength to sever the arm of the one Beowolf that had gotten way too close for comfort. The wolf-like Grimm howled at the loss of the appendage, but Jaune ended it's apparent suffering with a quick bash and follow up slash. He panted briefly, before finding a new target.

He charged forwards with a yell, ramming his shield into another Beowolf to stagger it, before cutting it down. He _knew_ there was another Beowolf right behind him, so Jaune spun, swinging his blade in a wide arc.

For a brief, almost undetectable moment, nothing moved. After that moment had passed, a thin red line opened up across the chest of the third Beowulf, as it fell forwards. But it's lifeless body was too much weight for the unsuspecting blonde, who'd been in a position where he was unable to move quickly enough to get out from underneath the beast.

With the Beowolves heavy corpse laying across him, Jaune panicked slightly, before realizing that from the lack of sound, he could relax. The battle was over, for now.

Of course, that didn't mean he was safe from the combined laughter of both Yang and Sherry at seeing his predicament.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up ladies." Jaune called out from underneath the mass of black fur – luckily odorless, like all Grimm, "Do either of you want to help me out here? This guy's quite heavy."

"Well Yang," that was Sherry, "I guess this is as good a time for a break as any, right?"

Jaune could practically hear the smile on his friends face "Yeah, sounds good. I've got some sweets that I packed just in case. Jaune, do you want any? They're homemade~"

"Yeah, if someone could get this oversized- wait, homemade? What are they?" and almost more importantly, _who_ made them? There was only one person who Jaune knew could be trusted making food in Yang's household, and that was Yang herself.

He'd tried some of Ruby's cookies when she visited on one of his days off. From the one sampling alone, Jaune was sure the girl didn't know what a measuring cup was; the things were practically pure sugar. Word of mouth from both Yang and Qrow had been that Yang's father, Tai Yang, was only capable of cooking _Grimm_. Qrow - whether he lived with them or not - apparently tried to use copious amounts of alcohol in anything and everything he made. As such anything the grizzled veteran made was unsafe for minor consumption.

It was neither surprising nor obvious that Yang was the most skilled cook of the whole group.

"Jaune… I made brownies~" was Yang's singsong response.

That was it. He needed this Beowolf off him. _Now_.

The blonde knight struggled against the weight, feeling it budge ever so slightly, before it just seemed to get even heavier. "Oh, brownies? Sounds delicious. I might have ta' have one." Sherry's voice came from right above him.

Did she really just sit on top of the dead Beowolf? The one that was on top of him?

"Here, try one." Yang offered, though Jaune could hear her suppressed chuckle.

…

"This is _really_ good Yang. And you baked these yourself? I might have to get the recipe off you; my husband would sure like to try them. May I have another?"

"As long as Jaune says it's okay; after all, it is the last one. What do you think Jaune?"

Jaune was no longer willing to risk missing out on one of Yang's delicious creations. With a burst of strength, he managed to somehow shift both the Beowolf and Sherry to the side - the redheaded huntress letting out a rare 'yelp' of surprise. Scrambling to his feet and out of breath from the effort, Jaune held out a hand.

The brownie that was placed in his outstretched hand swiftly disappeared, Jaune devouring it in seconds.

 _It was so_ _good_.

"Gee, did you even taste it?" Yang asked jokingly. "You practically inhaled the thing."

Jaune nodded, wiping the crumbs from the corners of his mouth. "Of course."

The group was out on another hunt, just beyond the walls of Nyurse. While their last outing the day before had covered the majority of the open plains and forested area around the village, this expedition was intended to clear the more rugged, rocky area to the village's north.

Of course, as it was an area they hadn't been to yet, the Grimm population was much like the other day: Dense.

It was still early in the morning, and the party had already eliminated over a hundred individual Grimm. Unlike the day before, Sherry was actively participating, which made a huge impact on the killcount.

When Jaune asked the experienced huntress why she was helping out, the woman responded by saying " _You guys have done enough that I consider this mission a huge success already. Besides, 'dead Grimm are dead Grimm, no matter who kills them'._ "

It was hard to argue with that logic, especially seeing how much Sherry actually brought to the table as far as combat ability went. The redhead – with that teeny tiny metal rod of hers – had probably killed more of the creatures of Grimm than Yang and Jaune combined.

From the spare glances he'd been able to afford, the only word Jaune could use to describe the woman's fighting style was _efficient_. If Yang was the personification of overkill, then Sherry was the polar opposite – only doing the bare minimum necessary for each of her kills.

He couldn't help but respect the woman for that – even if that all went down the drain the moment she sat on top him.

"So, Jaune, I have a question for you." Sherry stated as she stood up, the Beowolf beginning to decay at a rate that meant she wouldn't have been able to sit for much longer anyways. "Yang, this is a lesson for you as well, so listen up."

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"Your last kill here," she tapped the head of the deceased Beowolf with her weapon, "how did you know it was behind you?"

Jaune thought about that. He didn't see it, nor did he hear it or anything like that. "I guess... I just sort of expected it?"

Sherry nodded. "Sure, I'll accept that, but allow me to explain _exactly_ what I think happened. It felt like there was something behind you, right?"

"Yeah, that's it." How did she know?

"Grimm, contrary to popular belief – and government propaganda – are not mindless. Beowolves, for example, have a type of pack mentality. It's why they're still counted among the most dangerous Grimm, despite their inferior strength. It's their ability to somehow coordinate attacks that makes them so dangerous."

"Wait a minute… so Jaune figured out some kind of pattern in the Beowolves attacks?"

Sherry shook her head at Yang's suggestion. "It's like that, yes, but there's two things wrong with how you put it. One, Beowolves don't really have set patterns; they simply follow each other's leads. Two, Jaune didn't do it consciously, correct?"

Jaune nodded in agreement. "No, I just reacted to the feeling."

"Right. Anyone who has an aura gains some sort of sixth sense for detecting danger. Reacting like you did however, is exactly what you shouldn't have done."

Jaune raised an eyebrow at that. If he hadn't reacted, then the Beowolf would have had a free shot.

"Ah, sorry, I should have worded that better. It was good that you recognized that the Beowolf was there, but it's _how_ you reacted that needs work. It's corpse fell, collapsing on top of you, thus leaving you in danger. How could your actions have prevented that? Thing is, there are too many possibilities – too many ways to counter, ta' strike. Expert hunters like myself, who've gone through years of training are able to narrow those possibilities down quite easily...

"But there is no such thing as a perfect kill. There's always room to improve. There's always something that could have gone better. There's-" Sherry's scroll went off, it's pleasant tone interrupting her impromptu lecture. She answered it, "Hello?"

Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors, watching Sherry's face as the woman held the scroll to her ear. The concerned expression that grew with each passing second made Jaune uneasy.

Roughly ten seconds passed before Sherry slid her scroll closed, letting out a long string of curses.

Yang was the first to voice her thoughts, "What's going on?"

"We need to get back ta' Nyurse. _Now_. Fast as we can. Come with me." Sherry said hurriedly, as she drew her weapon, swinging it vertically through open air. The huntress paused for a moment, as if waiting for something. "No..." she gasped, as she swung her weapon through the air again. "It can't be."

Hearing Sherry's tone sent a chill through Jaune. He echoed Yang "What's going on?"

Sherry swung her weapon through the air again, to no avail. Whatever she was trying to accomplish, she didn't answer. She swung her weapon a couple more times, before with a frustrated yell, the woman swung horizontally along the ground.

Jaune's initial thoughts were that the redheaded huntress had gone mad.

Well, at least until he saw a trapdoor appear in the dirt where she'd swung.

"What the...?"

"Oh thank the gods." Sherry swiftly flipped it open with her foot, before with absolute authority she ordered "Both of you, inside! Quickly"

Jaune wasted no time at Sherry's words. The blonde, despite not knowing what was at the bottom, hopped through the entrance. He hit the hard floor at the bottom, rolling out of the way as he knew Yang was right behind him. The cellar they were now in smelt of dirt and... wax? Sherry was the last one in, pulling the trapdoor closed behind her as she climbed down.

Oddly enough, as soon as she closed the trapdoor, the faint sounds of gunfire began to echo through the wooden barrier. "Okay, now everyone out!" Sherry pushed back through the door, and Yang followed her up. Jaune trailed the two ladies, the sounds of battle now more prevalent.

To Jaune's surprise, they weren't in the rocky fields north of Nyurse any longer; They were now in Nyurse proper, the sharp statico of rifle fire permutating the air.

The village was a warzone. The bodies of dead militiamen and Grimm alike were scattered up and down the street. Frightened screams and bestial roars accompanied the rampant gunfire of the militia fighters.

The rocky area that they were just in was likely an hour's hike from the village. How did Sherry just do that?

...Was that her semblance?

"Yang, Jaune, protecting the civilians takes top priority." The redhead turned to face the two teens, eyes steely as if she was seeing a sight she'd likely seen before. "You two head ta' the mines, reinforce the safe zone the militia will have set up there. I'm going ta' comb the rest of the village for stragglers."

Jaune gave Sherry a quick nod. "Then we'll see you at the mines. Come on Yang."

The blondes turned to leave, before Sherry called out, "Jaune!"

The boy turned, waiting for her to continue as Yang proceeded ahead

"Use everything in your arsenal. I don't know how much the good stuff costs – none of it is worth more than someone's life."

Jaune nodded again, pulling Horizon from his back. "Understood." Rifle in hand, Jaune followed Yang, prepared to do what he had to do. In order to protect those who could not protect themselves.

* * *

"Bear. On the left, in the market."

Jaune turned slightly, aiming down Horizon's irons. With a quick pull of the trigger, the Ursa's bone mask shattered, and it fell limp in the middle of the square. Jaune ejected the spent casing, loading in another shot. "You've got good eyes, Gawain."

The boy seated next to him didn't acknowledge Jaune's compliment, searching for another target to call out. His sister, Sierra, was still out in the village somewhere, so the boy was likely beside himself with worry. "Wolf. Further left. Market."

Another trigger pull, and another reload as the Beowolf's body spasmed at the loss of it's head.

The Nyurse militia were holding a perimeter around the entrance to the mines – packed full of civilians waiting for evacuation. When Yang and Jaune reported to the militiaman in charge, Yang had been directed to the frontline, holding the barricades along with the militia's close range fighters. Jaune on the other hand, was placed well behind the line, up on some conveniently placed scaffolding that gave him a great view of the surrounding area.

Jaune's first thought when he'd gazed across the ruined village from his perch was: _Why were there so many of them_?

The village was practically filled with Grimm, of all varieties; Ursa, Beowolves, Creeps – there was even a half dispersed corpse of a King Taijitu, whoever had managed to take that out.

But the variety wasn't what bothered him. It was the quantity.

Jaune took another shot, downing a Beowolf that was beginning to get too close to the frontline. He caught a flash of yellow, easily spotting Yang among the melee fighters. She'd been ready to intercept the running wolf-Grimm, and Jaune smiled, waving as the blonde girl turned, expressing her disappointment with a particular one-handed gesture.

 _Rude_.

A dull 'thum' broke upon Jaune's ears. The blonde smiled at the sound he'd grown familiar with. It grew louder and louder, before it was all that he heard - overpowering everything else. The Bullhead passed by overhead, preparing to land in the open area between the mines and the baricades. "Get down there Gawain. You need to get out of here."

"But... but my sister..." Jaune looked to the boy, who was beginning to tear up.

Jaune grimaced. He understood exactly how the boy felt. By calling out targets for Jaune, Gawain was _helping_. He was doing what he little he could. To get on that Bullhead, he'd be leaving, fleeing to safety. Selfish.

 _He'd be running away_.

The Bullhead landed, and the hatches on the sides opened up. Medical staff and fresh troops hopped out. There were even some teenagers – students, probably – wielding weapons, rushing out to the frontlines.

The blonde placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Gawain looked up, grey eyes determinant on staying. If anything, the boy was stubborn.

What could Jaune say?

"Listen, Gawain, and listen carefully. You are going to get on that tiltjet. You are going to leave. Do you want to know why?" Gawain opened his mouth to respond, but Jaune didn't let him. "Because once all the civilians are out of here, we won't have to worry about protecting you all. We can go out into the village, _and fight_. You know what that means?"

Again, Jaune didn't give the kid any time to answer. "It means I'll be out there, able to look for your sister. And I'll find her; That's a promise, alright? An Arc never goes back on his word."

A moment passed before Gawain nodded solemnly, before acrobatically climbing down the scaffolding. Jaune watched as the boy ran, joining a crowd of villagers looking to get on the first airlift out. Another Bullhead flew in, landing next to the first. Upon seeing the first man out, Jaune jumped from his perch, and quickly ran over. "Qrow!"

Had it been any other situation, Jaune was sure the man would have smiled. Instead, his teacher only acknowledged the blonde with a curt nod. "Jaune. Go get Yang, bring her to the mine entrance. I'll meet you there."

Jaune didn't waste any time, instead rushing to the frontlines in search of the brawler. He found her quickly, following the distinctive sound of shotgun blasts. Jaune ran up, just as the Ursa she'd been pummeling fell to the consecutive blows.

"Yang!" Jaune called out, getting the brawler's attention. "Qrow's here. We're meeting him at the mine entrance."

Yang popped the empty shells from her gauntlets. "Yeah, sure, just one moment. Everyone!" She turned to the militiamen who were manning the makeshift barricades. As if she'd taken lessons from her uncle, or even Sherry, her voice implied that she was the one in command. Jaune certainly didn't expect it; hearing the way Yang spoke with such authority got even his blood boiling.

The blonde boy also supposed that beating down an Ursa with what was practically her bare hands sure garnered a lot of respect from the part-time soldiers.

It was almost comical, how so many people that were older than Yang paid her such rapt attention.

"Reinforcements are here." At Yang's words, a cheer went around. "Continue to hold this line. Your work is almost done."

Jaune scanned the faces of the militia fighters. Among the expressions, he saw everything ranging from relief to worry. Relief; that they were safe, that all was well. And worry; possibly for family that hadn't made it to the safe zone yet.

Jaune and Yang took off in a jog, rushing towards where Jaune assumed Qrow would be waiting. He wasn't let down, when he caught sight of his instructor. The man had his sword balanced over a shoulder, talking to two teens Jaune didn't recognize.

The first of the two, a boy with raven black hair, wore a green Mistrali-style shirt and off-white pants. He didn't see any weapons on the guy, so Jaune assumed he was some kind of Martial arts fighter. Unless he had something up his sleeves.

The girl next to him had a head of orange hair, cut to just above her shoulders. She wore a pink skirt and… wait … was that a grenade launcher?

Yes. As the blondes got closer to the group, Jaune was certain the girl had a grenade launcher.

Jaune was suddenly very concerned about having Yang and this other girl in such close proximity. Not because they wouldn't get along or anything like that, but because they would probably get along _too_ well.

"Hey uncle! How's it hanging?" Yang called out, getting the attention of the newly arrived trio.

Jaune could see Qrow chuckle briefly, before his face returned to the stony professionalism of a huntsman in the field. "I should be asking you that. What's the situation?"

Jaune answered in Yang's stead. "We don't really know. We came back from our hunt to find the village under mass attack. Sherry sent us here to assist, while she went looking for survivors."

"Alright. Well, now that we're here, we're going to take offensive measures; a counterattack. But first... I suppose introductions are in order." Qrow gestured to the two new arrivals. "Jaune, Yang, these two are students from Siren Academy, up in North Vale. Lie Ren-" the black haired boy gave a polite nod in greeting. Jaune noticed a pink lock of hair among the black strands. "and Nora Valkyrie." The orange haired girl gave an overly energetic smile, accompanied by an excited wave.

"Name's Jaune Arc. It's- Ow" Jaune was cut off by Yang elbowing him in the side.

The blonde brawler smiled as if she didn't do anything. "And I'm Yang! Nice to meet you two!"

Qrow nodded, satisfied that the two pairs were now acquainted "I want the four of you to head back into what's left of the village. Sweep every building that's still standing. Destroy any Grimm in your path. Jaune, you know where to search?"

"Anywhere the Grimm are most concentrated." Jaune confirmed. "That's where the villagers are likely holed up."

"Right. Nora, Ren; follow Jaune's lead. He knows what he's doing… I hope."

Jaune responded to that with dry sarcasm, "Thanks for the ringing endorsement, _Uncle Qrow_."

That got him a shot in the shoulder from a growling Yang, who had a face tinted red in light anger - or maybe it was embarrassment. Yang's reaction got a bark of laughter from Jaune's teacher, who waved them away.

Jaune walked a short distance from Qrow, the three other students following. He turned to them, their gazes expectant.

The two newcomers had to have been roughly the same age as Jaune. Why did Qrow make him the leader instead of Yang? Just from mere moments ago at the front line, Jaune knew she was capable of being a good leader.

Was this some sort of test for him then? Some kind of trial by fire?

If it was, then Jaune was going to ace it.

"Ren, what are you capable of? How do you fight?" Jaune figured he'd start by asking the quieter, more reserved of the pair. Having knowledge of how each other fought was key if they were going to be working together.

If his only other male companion had been caught off guard by the sudden questioning, he certainly didn't show it, "I fight at close to mid range. Nora here..."

"I make things explode." The girl said cheerily.

"...She makes things explode." Ren confirmed with a sigh. "Up close or at a distance."

"Okay. Yang, you'll be taking point. Nora and I will stay in the middle, as our long range fighters. Ren, you cover the rear – keep an eye out for any Grimm that'll be trying to come up behind us."

Nora gave an excited laugh, before snapping a mock salute. "You've got it boss!"

Jaune smiled, the girls energy infectious despite the situation. He retracted Horizon into it's pistol like form, waving in the direction of the barricaded frontline. "Let's go team."

Yang took off first, a broad smile on her face. Jaune followed her up, Nora keeping in stride. Jaune turned, confirming that Ren was trailing.

"So, are you and Yang are related?" Nora asked once they were all clear of the barricade.

Jaune was actually caught flat footed by the girl's question. He hadn't expected the bubbly girl to make small talk so quickly. "Uh, no. We may both be blonde, but we aren't family."

"But you both called the gruff old man-" Jaune snickered at that "-Uncle. If you're not related... does that mean you guys are _together_? Like, _together-together_?"

What was she getting at? 'Together-together'? Like... like...

Like a couple? The thought made Jaune blush briefly before the color drained from his face. Yang as his _girlfriend_?

That'd be a _nightmare_ ; He'd have to carry a first aid kit everywhere they went – for _himself._

 _"_ Nope. Just friends." He assured, more to himself than the orange haired girl jogging beside him.

The blonde boy had a rogue thought however: _Maybe, just maybe_...

"Aww, that's too bad. You two seem close. Like me and Ren! But we're not together-together either. Oooh, look, an _Ursa_." The last part came out like a hushed whisper, despite being spoken at regular volume.

Yang slowed to a stop, and the group bunched up behind her. In their path stood an Ursa Major – something Jaune hadn't seen since his training in Forever Fall.

...Had he really killed something so magnificently massive on his first hunt?

It must have just been the adrenaline.

"Yang and I will go in first, get some damage on it. You two follow up." Jaune ordered. "It's go time."

Ren and Nora nodded, stepping back, but prepared to jump in at any time. "Ready Jaune?" Yang asked, gauntleted fists held in front of her.

Jaune simply laughed it off, "I was born ready." It looked like the big Ursa had finally noticed them, and was starting to amble over towards the four students. Jaune took aim with Horizon, firing a couple rounds at the bear-like Grimm's face.

The rounds only served to anger the beast, landing around it's bony face plate – none finding a new home as they bounced off. It was enough to distract the Ursa, however, as Yang had taken the time to close the gap. The feminine brawler jumped, hoping to land a fist in the Grimm's face. She had to abort, however, blocking a massive paw that came swinging towards her.

Whether it was fortunate or not, Yang was knocked back towards Jaune. The girl managed to maintain her balance while in the air, aligning herself so she'd land with her feet against Jaune's shield, which he'd rose in preparation.

Jaune held his ground as Yang pushed off, firing her gauntlets behind her to generate momentum. The Ursa's face was peppered by explosions that generated a pink smoke, and a glance to the side determined that the explosions were caused by Nora.

He'd have to ask about the pink smoke later. What kind of Dust was she using?

The orange haired girl 'cackled' as she continued to fire, before stopping as Yang got closer. Jaune also looked around, searching for their strike team's fourth member, only to see him behind the large Ursa's legs, slashing at them with whatever his weapons were; some kind of bladed guns. Ren was forced to retreat when the Ursa began stomping rampantly, overwhelmed by both the explosions upstairs and the lacerations along it's legs.

Yang had ample time to land several blows on the panicked beast's head, having swung around behind the neck. She jumped off as the beast fell to its knees, simply unable to handle the group's relentless assault.

Jaune strode forwards, Crocea Mors in hand. He slashed at the beast's arms, severing tendons with the intent of bringing it flush against the ground. No longer able to support itself with it's arms or it's legs, the once mighty Ursa fell flat on it's front, helpless.

Jaune was about to jab it in the neck, executing it, but a certain someone had a much more... dramatic method.

"Smash!" was all Jaune heard, before a massive silver hammer came down on the back of the Ursa's head, ending it's suffering in a rather grim – _damn it Yang_ – manner.

The four teens stood at the collapsed head of the Ursa Major, catching their breath. Jaune watched as Nora's hammer returned to it's grenade launcher form. _That's neat_.

Jaune looked down at the mangled body in front of him, watching as it began to evaporate as all dead Grimm do "Alright. That was cool." He stated plainly.

"I'd say." was Yang's agreement.

"Let's move on." Ren added, as Yang took off.

"I told you I make thing's explode."

* * *

 **Yay! More familiar faces! Heck, if I keep going on like this, Jaune's going to know half of Beacon Academy before he even gets there.**

 **...If he even does :O**

 **So, Sherry's semblance. Tried to keep it reasonable, and believable. It seems like something that meshes with the world really well - plus, it clearly has some rules associated with it (hint hint).**

 **See you guys next time!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	13. An Evacuation

**Hey! Hello There! Hi!**

 **Pardon my language, but this chapter was an absolute bi**h to write. I considered slamming my head against the wall multiple times in the process of getting this one done, but if anything, that means that the next one should come more naturally.**

 **Also, I'm considering starting up another fic, and writing it alongside this one. This does not mean 'Technician' will be updated slower; This fic still takes priority, and will likely still update at the same pace. If anything, my new fic will be the one that updates slower.**

 **Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Jaune groaned in slight annoyance and physical effort as he shifted yet another heavy wooden beam to the side. The houses in Nyurse had taken tons of damage from the King Taijitu that somehow slithered it's way within the walls. The snake-Grimm was dead however – Jaune remembered seeing it's corpse from the mines earlier.

Even if it's corpse was likely now dispersed, the damage it dealt was a scar left on the dying village. The house the boy was currently in was partially collapsed – the trapdoor leading into the basement having been covered in rubble, it was likely there might be people trapped inside.

The blonde kicked some planks to the side, revealing the handle to the trapdoor. He pulled it up, the heavy wood coming up with it.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Jaune called out into the dark below.

There was no response.

The blonde sighed. Another empty house. This one had practically been surrounded by Grimm too.

"No one." The quiet boy, Ren, commented as he came up behind Jaune, having checked the other areas of the partially demolished house. "We've been through ten homes already."

Jaune responded, "I know. I just hope these houses are empty because the people got out, and not-"

"Wait. You see this?" The black haired boy interrupted, kneeling. Jaune's curious eyes followed his finger, and saw something that made him uneasy.

Blood. A trail of blood. Leading away from the basement.

...Or perhaps into it? But... there hadn't been an answer when he'd called out, had there?

Jaune's eyes met Ren's. Apparently, they both realized the same thing. The raven-haired boy spoke first after taking a deep breath, "I'll check the basement."

The blonde wasn't sure whether it was just the guy being nice, or Reny doubting he'd be able to... _handle..._ what could possibly be waiting down there. Recalling what the 'clean-up' was like after the lab incident – and what had occurred during it – Jaune was well acquainted with death already. "Are you sure? I've... I've done stuff like this before." Jaune offered out of courtesy.

"I..." Ren paused, as if considering it. "Same here." he finished quietly.

They remained in silence for a minute, staring into the dark square of space, before Jaune nodded. "Okay, I'll go tell the girls what we've found."

Jaune strode out the broken door-frame that used to be the entrance to the house. He looked back to see Ren pull out his scroll, using it's flashlight to see while he descended into the basement.

"Well?"

Jaune turned towards Yang's voice, his classmate and friend leaning against the building across the street; another house, the one that her and the other girl, Nora, had searched.

"Some blood." Jaune mentioned with a sigh. "Ren's checking the basement right now. You guys?"

"Nothing." Yang stated solemnly. Nora nodded along.

"Well... Nothing is a good thing." Jaune said encouragingly, despite his own feelings. "Like, finding _something_ would be bad, wouldn't it?"

Yang's expression was doubtful, before she sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

A moment passed as the three stood there awkwardly, watching the corpses of the Grimm they killed slowly vanish.

"There was nothing in the basement." Ren stated, coming up behind Jaune. "I suggest we follow the trail."

"Good idea Ren." Jaune nodded his agreement, stepping out into the 'street'. "Alright. Yang, you'll be swapping with me in the formation; I'm beginning to run low on ammo. Ren, I'll need you up front. Nora, you keep an eye out for any Grimm."

The fair haired boy began walking, scanning the ground for any traces of more blood. Ren walked beside him, also looking for any blood, or any traces of who might have left it behind. They reached the end of the street, and they hadn't seen a single splotch of red.

"I _am_ heading in the right direction, right Ren?" Jaune quizzed the black haired boy quietly.

"I believe so. The trail did lead out this way, after all."

Good. So he didn't look like a complete idiot. Although, Jaune rationalized, just how stupid he looked at the moment didn't matter. What did matter was finding survivors.

"Grimm ahead." Nora called out from behind the two. Jaune drew Crocea Mors, and Ren slid his gun-blade things out of his shirt.

Well, Jaune was right about the guy having something up his sleeves.

"Wait." Yang also called out. Jaune didn't dare turn and face her, instead keeping his eyes on the black mass of fur on the ground in front of him.

"It… It's dead?" Ren asked, the surprise faintly evident in his voice.

…Was it? Jaune did the only sensible thing, and cautiously approached the prone beast – a Beowolf. With a quick stab from Crocea Mors, the blonde pierced its neck. No response.

"Huh." Jaune wiped his blade on the Grimm's corpse, before returning it to it's rightful place in his shield. "Yang, do you think it was Sherry?"

The blonde with the flowing long locks came to stand beside him. "Well, I mean, it has to be, right? Everyone else who could put up a fight is back at the mines. She's probably the one who took out that King Taijitu you saw earlier too."

"Uhh, who's Sherry?" Nora's inquisitive voice called from behind the two comrades.

Yang turned to explain, but Jaune tuned the two girls out. He had a nagging feeling – like an itch, in the back of his mind. Something just wasn't right.

"Jaune?" Ren asked, but the blonde ignored him.

He stared at the Grimm, its corpse splayed out. Something was definitely... _wrong_.

"This isn't a normal Grimm." Jaune stated. He didn't know why he thought that, but... he had a _feeling_. And if there was anything he trusted more than himself, it was his own feelings.

All three of his companions went silent at their temporary leader's deduction. Their combined silence was broken by Nora. "What?"

"This isn't a normal Grimm." Jaune repeated, as he bent down, looking closer at the masked face of the Beowolf. The boy did something he never thought he'd ever do, and slowly stuck a hand in the Beowolf's open maw. One touch told him everything he needed to know.

"This Beowolf, it... it's cold." Jaune explained. He looked to the others. "Like the corpse has been here for awhile."

The two girls tilted their heads in confusion, while a look of realization dawned on the face of Ren. Apparently, Jaune and the more agile fighter were on the same wavelength.

"...It hasn't disappeared yet?" Jaune added, to the benefit of the female portion of their group.

Yang brought a balled fist into her palm, as she put two and two together. "So it's not a normal Grimm." the girl said plainly.

"Yeah, that's what I just said, Yang."

Nora, on the other hand, stroked her own chin, as if she was thinking deeply. She then posed a question:

" _Why_ isn't it disappearing?"

"Well that's the million lien question, isn't it?" Jaune commented, standing. "Think we should call it in?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll give my uncle a ring." Yang stated, pulling her scroll from her pocket.

As Yang flitted through the various menus on her scroll, Jaune turned to the two students from Siren. The blonde boy could tell that Ren was book smart at the very least, although he proved multiple times so far that he was also able to apply that knowledge practically. Nora too – maybe not in the 'book smart' way, but she certainly seemed more intelligent than her demeanor led on. You just had to look closely to see it

The orange haired girl let out a wide smile at meeting Jaune's eyes; one that Jaune returned almost instinctually. It was hard not to, considering how cheerful the girl appeared to be – although, if he had to guess, it was more a façade than anything.

Ren had implied earlier that he'd... _experienced..._ a situation such as this before. Maybe Nora had as well? If the two of them had gone through half as much as he and Yang had, it's was possible.

"What do you two think?" Jaune asked. It would be good to get their perspective on things.

After a moment, Ren answered first, likely the more prepared of the duo, "With regards to the Beowolf here? Or the situation in general?"

"Both." Jaune prompted.

The boy hummed, before speaking again, "Nothing really seems to be adding up. I mean, from the reports we were given on our way, this village had never had any major incidents with Grimm before; just small skirmishes. It doesn't make sense for the Grimm to have assaulted Nyurse in such numbers. It's almost as odd as this Beowolf not dissipating. You said you were hunting outside the village when the attack began, correct? Were those Grimm... normal?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah. The Grimm we'd fought outside the walls, when they died, they vanished. Even back at the mines, anything the militia took down did the same."

"Hey." Nora interjected, "That Ursa Major we took down earlier... and everything else we came across..."

"What about them?" Jaune quizzed.

"They... they all dissipated, didn't they?"

Jaune scrunched his face in confusion, remembering. "Yeah. You're right." What made this Beowolf so different?

"Yang, what's going on?" Jaune heard from over his shoulder. Though it was slightly muffled, Jaune easily recognized the voice of Qrow. Jaune turned and walked up next to Yang, also wanting to participate in the video call.

"Some strange things uncle. We haven't found any civilians yet – even in areas teeming with Grimm. But there's something else." Yang flipped her scroll around, so that Qrow could see the Beowolf corpse. "This Grimm; Jaune says it's body is cold."

"You mean it isn't gone yet? It's been there long enough for it to have vanished by now?" Qrow asked hurriedly. If Jaune hadn't known the man better, he'd probably have thought the man panicked

"Yeah, I checked it's temperature. It's likely been dead for a while." Jaune commented as Yang turned the scroll back around. "What does that mean?"

Qrow seemed to take a moment to think, before his red eyes stared back seriously. "It means we're pulling out. Go find Sherry, wherever that insufferable woman is. You two should grab your gear from where you were staying too, if you still can."

Jaune tensed at that. The boy had almost forgotten about that. With what all had been going on, he hadn't even considered what might have happened to all the stuff they'd left at the Inn. He almost shivered at the thought of what his mother might do to him if he lost his aunt's journal.

"But don't take too long. The faster we're out of here, the better." Qrow added. "See you guys back at the mines."

Yang turned to Jaune, putting her scroll in her pocket. "Well that was ominous," She quipped, "What do we do?"

"We go find Sherry, grab our things, and get out. If we come across any civilians along the way, we'll help them out, but we can't detour for anything." Jaune sighed, clenching a fist.

 _But what about Sierra, Jaune_? _What about your promise_?

Ren and Nora, who had been listening in, nodded along.

"Let's go."

The makeshift team of students started moving down the road again, the trail of blood they'd been searching for now forgotten.

The group ran across a few more Grimm during their search – both live and dead. The former were made into the latter as the students fell upon them. Unfortunately, the four were beginning to run low on ammo; Jaune only had his dust rounds left, while Yang only had enough shells to fill one gauntlet. Ren was fresh out, and Nora only had a few grenades left.

The four didn't stick around to see if the corpses started to vanish, quickly moving on.

Considering the lack of munitions, the group decided against using any real formation at that point – instead, they opted to simply call out their targets prior to engagement. It proved more effective the more and more Grimm they took down. So long as they weren't burdened with fighting a large group in tight quarters, they were fine.

Jaune noticed, after putting down a Boarbatusk with a little help from Nora's mighty hammer, that they were now in much more familiar territory, despite how unfamiliar it may have looked.

"Is that the Inn? The place we stayed?" Yang asked, staring at the pile of cobble and wood.

Jaune nodded solemnly, "Yeah, what's left of it. I wonder what caused all this damage though." It couldn't have been the King Taijitu; it's rampage likely stopped before it could get to this area.

"I've got an answer for you." A voice called from on top of the Inn's ruins. Jaune looked up, but had to shade his eyes, else he look directly into the sun. A shadowed silhouette stood atop the ruins. The figure hopped down, and Jaune got a better look at her.

It was certainly a 'she' – even though he couldn't see the majority of her body from under her white cloak. She had two bags, one held in each of her hands. Any further inspection was put on hold when Jaune noticed the mask she wore. His first thoughts had been of the White Fang, and the Grimm masks they wore. That alone put Jaune - as well as Yang - on guard.

"It was a giant Nevermore." The new arrival continued, her voice muffled. "Landed on top of the Inn at the beginning of the attack. It was... _annoying_ to take out. Honestly, the two of you should take better care of your belongings."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asked aggressively, raising her fists. Jaune swore he saw her eyes switch color again. So he _hadn't_ imagined that the first time it happened. Was that some part of her semblance or something?

"It means that you shouldn't take something so important out on a mission you may be unable to retrieve it from." Although Jaune couldn't see the woman's eyes from behind her red and white mask, he was sure that she was staring pointedly at him.

Suddenly, the mysterious woman threw the two bags she was holding towards the group, at Jaune and Yang specifically. While they were in flight, Jaune recognized them as the packs he and Yang had brought, and made to catch his.

"Our bags?" Jaune asked, incredulously. He unzipped the main pocket, taking a look inside. Everything was there; his aunt's journal, Ninjas of Love, all the clothes he'd packed. "Our stuff...? Who are you?"

"I am the succeeded." She stated, as if they'd know what that meant. The woman turned around, her back to the four students. "We'll see each other again."

And then the woman was gone. It was as if she ceased to exist. There wasn't a trace of her left, but the bags they held.

Jaune blinked, and looked around, then down at the bag in his hands. "You two saw her, right? I'm not crazy, am I?" Jaune turned to Ren and Nora.

"Yeah. But where'd she go?" Ren stated in a half whisper, probably unsettled by what just happened. "I don't think there's anyone alive – human or faunus – that can move that quick."

"I don't even think Ruby can move that fast." Yang said to Jaune. "It's like she just vanished."

Nora decided to chip in, "And what did she call herself? 'The succeeded'? Sounds dumb."

"Nora..." Ren said slowly.

"What? It's true."

Jaune tightened the straps that kept his sack secured to his back, before commenting himself. "It doesn't matter what she's called. She's gone now and we have a mission to focus on."

Yang's golden locks bobbed as she nodded her agreement. "Yeah. We've got our gear, now we just need to find Sherry. It would be good if we had an actual way to track her down. We've just been sorta winging it you know?"

"Yeah, if we could call her on her scroll or something..." Jaune started saying before he trailed off.

How could he be such an idiot?

"Just hold on guys... I'll call her..." Jaune said meekly, shying away from Yang's glare. Under the combined gaze of the other two, Jaune withered more as he pulled his scroll out.

"You've got to be kidding me. You had her scroll ID this whole time?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Wrong answer, Jaune." The glint the brawler had in her eyes was dangerous.

Uh oh. "A little help guys?"

Nora's cheery voice 'helped' "Nah, it looks like Yang's got this, Jaune."

"I meant help _me!_ " Jaune stood completely still, like prey in the eyes of a predator. Yang wrapped an arm around his neck, taking his scroll from his grip at the same time.

Yang let out a hearty laugh – though Jaune could tell it was fake. "That's a great idea Jaune. Let's call the person we've been looking for; for upwards of an _hour_." His blonde friend released him, instead opting to flip through the menus and tabs. "She's not in your contacts?" She asked, her tone dangerous.

"Call history; I haven't saved her info yet." Jaune spoke quickly, concerned for his well being. It was strange that he was more scared of someone he considered his friend, rather than the grotesque beasts he'd been trained to fight.

"Okay, I'm calling her now. Odd that there's no video call option. She must be using an older scroll." Yang commented, as the group of four stood in a rough approximation of a diamond, Yang holding the scroll in the middle.

The feed on the scroll crackled to life "Yo, Jaune. How's it going?" A growl came through the speaker, before it was cut off by the sound of breaking bone, "I'm kinda busy at the moment, can you make it quick?"

"Sherry, where the _hell_ are you?" Yang responded before Jaune was able.

"Oh, it's Yang. Is Jaune okay?" The huntress on the scroll asked. It sounded like she was actually concerned for him.

"Yeah, I'm right here." Jaune jumped into the call, "Where are you? We're over by the Inn, looking for survivors." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. They'd been looking for her, after all.

Sherry didn't respond, but by the sounds coming through the scroll, she was taking down more Grimm. "You mean you guys aren't at the mines?"

"We were sent out by our instructor, Qro-"

"I don't care who sent you where, you two get back to the mines, quick as you can. _Now_!"

With that final word, the line went dead, Sherry having ended the call.

Nora was the one who broke the resulting silence. "Ugh, what is going on?"

And then the ground shook, ever briefly, but the foursome felt it.

"Uh, guys? I think we should get moving." Jaune said, as the ground shook again, more intensely. "Like, now."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Yang responded, but despite her words, Jaune could hear the panic evident in her voice. Whatever was causing those shakes, Yang didn't like it either.

Jaune took off in a run, and the others followed as he went back the way they came. Another quake hit while Jaune was mid-stride, knocking him off balance. The blonde tripped over his own feet, but Nora helped him up. Yang and Ren were up ahead, having passed him when he fell. They were waiting to make sure he was okay.

The notion made him happy, but he waved them ahead as he started moving again. "Go!" He managed to shout between breaths. Once she was sure he was steady once more, Nora continued on, checking back to make sure he hadn't fallen again.

As the group passed a house, it _sunk_. Jaune couldn't believe what he'd seen, but it wasn't exactly as if he could stop and look. He continued running, only able to afford a slight glance back. The ground was cracking and splitting, consuming what remained of the village.

"Hurry!" He heard Yang call from up ahead. The boy realized he had no time to worry about what was occurring behind him – the ground ahead was doing the same thing; cracking, splitting, sinking.

It was as if the village was _falling_. Collapsing? He didn't know, he just needed to run.

Jaune drew Horizon from his back, loading one of his Dust rounds as he ran. He hoped, he _really_ hoped he wouldn't have to use it – he hadn't even tested this one yet.

If he used it and it failed, he'd probably die. If he used it and it worked... he'd probably still die, but in their current situation, he might have to risk it.

"There's the mines!" That was Ren. Jaune looked ahead, and saw a Bullhead. He picked out both Qrow and Sherry, standing in the open cargo doors, the tilt-jet hovering slightly off the ground.

Or, well, it would have been slightly off the ground, had the ground still been there.

Jaune's worst fears were realized. They were going to have to jump for it.

And he couldn't make that jump.

Ren, having been leading the pack, went first. The boy must have had incredible leg strength because he managed to jump even before reaching the end of what was left beneath him.

Hell, he was sure the black haired boy could have cleared the Bullhead too, if he wanted.

Yang went next, hopping into the air before firing off with both her gauntlets. Jaune's heart leapt into his throat, when he saw only one of them go off. He'd forgot that she only had enough shells for one gauntlet – apparently, Yang had as well.

Jaune would have sighed in relief – had he been able to; he was still running – when Sherry's weapon _extended_ , and Yang was able to grab it at the very tip. She made it.

Nora jumped, propelling herself with her hammer. She stuck the landing, much like Ren.

And then there was Jaune. He was all that was left, and as he ran up, the ground started to collapse in front of him.

Not only could he not make the jump, he had even less breathing room than the other three ever did.

As the ground fell away in front of him, he was forced to a halt. He looked over the edge, into the darkness below him. The blaring engines of the Bullhead returned him to reality, as it inched closer. Qrow, Yang, and the others all waved him over, gesturing for him to jump.

He was really going to have to use it, wasn't he?

" _Nothing ventured nothing gained? Well then, here goes nothing._ " The blonde whispered, though he doubted he could even hear himself over the roar of the Bullhead's jets, as well as the shaking ground.

The blonde boy turned so that his back was facing the Bullhead, and aimed at the ground where he stood. He'd have to time his shot perfectly, or else he wouldn't make it.

He looked behind him, taking note of where the Bullhead was. Sending a silent prayer to whatever gods were out there, he hopped back, and squeezed the trigger.

Jaune could easily say – now having lived through one – explosions sucked. While his Aura protected him from actual harm, the pain was still there, and it hurt like nothing he'd ever experienced before.

The Dust round he used packed more of a punch than he thought it did, however, and he was launched into the Bullhead's cargo bay, his head smacking into the far door. All Jaune heard as he passed out, was a cacophony of voices calling his name.

* * *

"Jaune!" Yang called out, as the blonde went hurtling past her. She reached out a hand to grab him, but ultimately retreated as he was simply moving too fast for her to catch.

The loud clang as his head collided with the Bullhead's closed door sent her into a state of alarm.

"Jaune, are you okay?" "Jaune!" "Is he dead?" were the comments coming from people around the Bullhead. The hydraulics hissed as the door that was previously open, closed. The entire tiltjet lurched as it surged forwards.

Sherry and Yang were the first ones at the blondes side, having recovered fastest from the change in forces. Yang deferred to the older huntress, as she placed two fingers along a spot on Jaune's neck. "He's still got a pulse."

Yang's uncle came up next to them as well. "Check the back of his head. Is he bleeding? Gently now."

Yang leaned her friend's blonde head forwards, checking the back for and blood. "Nothing."

"His aura must still be intact then. Boy, does he have a lot of it." Qrow commented.

"Yeah, the boy does has a lot of aura." Sherry stated as she rose. "Still, he shouldn't even be in this situation, _Qrow_." the redheaded huntress practically spat Yang's uncle's name out, jabbing her index finger in his chest.

Yang could feel the tension, thick in the air.

"Well," her uncle started, his voice as bitter as she'd ever heard it. "Maybe if the two of us were actually in contact, I wouldn't have sent him out there when there was a damn quake coming!"

"Well, _birdbrain_ , you should have seen the signs! Mass Grimm attack in a village that was relatively positive? Corpses that didn't deteriorate? The only thing that could have possibly attracted that many Grimm was a friggin' natural disaster! I gave the Arc and your niece orders to wait at the mines for evacuation, and you sent them back out... for _what_?"

"I sent them out for survivors." Qrow growled.

"Yeah, you certainly did. But guess what they came back with: _Nothing_. Because I got everyone out already. Because _I had it under control_."

Qrow looked as if he was about to respond with another argument, before he gave in, sighing, but continuing to glare at the huntress.

Yang looked to the other two students who were in the cargo hold with her – Ren and Nora. The three of them shared an awkward glance. "How did you get them out?" Yang asked cautiously, not wanting to get between the two arguing hunters.

Sherry didn't even meet Yang's eyes, continuing to stare defiantly back at her uncle. "I used my semblance. Remember how we got in the village? Yeah, I did that, but with a door at the Vale airport. Lots of confused security workers there right now, that's for sure."

"Which door did you use?"

The question surprised Yang, being that it came from her uncle. The same one who'd looked like he was about to take Sherry's head off just a moment ago.

The redheaded huntress smiled evilly, "Why, one of the ones leading into a woman's washroom, of course."

Qrow shook his head, but to Yang's surprise, he was smiling. "Don't ever change, Sherry."

Yang on the other hand, was not smiling, "Hold up. You two were just at each other's throats literally just a second ago. Why are you so buddy-buddy now? Jaune's still _hurt,_ " She pointed at the boy's limp body, laying on the floor of the Bullhead. "The village is _gone_."

"Jaune's fine." The two said in unison.

Ren stepped forwards, and even though Yang didn't know the boy well, she could hear the steel in his voice. "And the village? What about it?"

Sherry's mouth was open, prepared to respond, but Qrow tapped her lightly on the shoulder "I'll take it from here. These guys deserve an explanation."

Qrow stepped forwards. "The village of Nyurse was doomed the moment it fell under attack."

Her uncle's words made the blood in Yang's veins run cold. "What?"

"You heard me correctly, Yang. You two," Qrow gestured to Ren and Nora, "When you got here, you knew that this was an evacuation – your mission outline defined it as such, did it not? An _evacuation._ We were not here to save the village – we were here to save it's people. And that we did. Understood?"

Qrow then turned to Yang, and she could see the remorse in his eyes. "Yang... when I sent you on this mission, we sent you out because you were all we had that was immediately available. The area had unusually high Grimm populations – high enough that there should have been a team sent from Beacon, not two students from Signal."

"What do you mean?" Yang was concerned now. Her uncle had willingly sent her on a mission that was way above what they were capable of?

"We were technically scouts." Sherry decided to cut in. "That's why me, you and Jaune were out there, clearing the Grimm from the surrounding areas. Reinforcements from Beacon were supposed to take over for us."

"So the students who arrived late, the huntsmen and huntresses that showed up at the mines during the attack, they were all from Beacon?" Yang asked, astounded.

"Yeah." Qrow confirmed.

"What about Nora and Ren then?" Yang asked, pointing at the two.

Qrow rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well..."

"He's paying us." Nora stated simply, Ren nodding his head in agreement. "Since we're from Siren, it also counts as our graduation mission, so..."

Yang shook her head, "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

Apparently, they weren't.

* * *

After a few minutes of heated discussion, everyone resolved to spend the rest of the trip going about various things. Ren and Nora chatted – It was mostly Nora chatting, actually. The black haired boy sat and listened with an expressionless face.

Yang was alone, however. Jaune, unconscious as he was, was not only unable to talk, but also occupying both Sherry and her uncle's time. Yang simply closed her eyes, simply trying to focus on the thrum of the Bullhead's engines as she leaned against one of the bay doors.

"How're you doing, Yang?" an accented voice brought her eyes back open.

Before she responded, Yang yawned. In all honesty? She was... "Tired."

"I can imagine." Sherry noted, leaning next to her. "You've been fighting since early morning, with no breaks."

Yang chuckled, "Yeah, today really has gone to hell, hasn't it."

"You're not wrong. Can you believe it was just a couple hours ago, that we were out north of Nyurse, hunting Grimm, sharing a laugh and some delicious brownies?"

Yang's smile grew as she registered Sherry's words, watching as Qrow continued to tend to Jaune – still out of it. "No. I can't believe it."

Sherry must have caught her looking, because the next words out of her mouth were: "He'll be fine."

"I know he'll be fine, but I can't help but worry." Yang said, and the two returned to silence.

Jaune was strong; anyone who could take multiple punches from her and keep going was strong. Yang knew that. She watched as he used that explosive to launch himself into the Bullhead, and couldn't help but admire his stupidly brilliant idea; he'd made it on board safely because of that, after all.

Yang would just have to remind Jaune just how stupidly brilliant he'd been later – in a spar.

But for now, she decided she could ignore him, in favor of the redheaded huntress next to her. "So Sherry, how do you know my uncle?"

Sherry laughed lightly "Oh, you're going to love this story. So, it was the Vytal Festival – held by Atlas that year. I happened to overhear some certain male students from Beacon talking about how 'dull' it was at Atlas Academy, so I promised to show them exactly how 'dull' it wasn't."

"Uh oh. What did you do?"

"I used my semblance, pushed them through the door I'd made, and locked them on the other side."

Yang liked where this was going. "Where'd the door lead?"

"Well in Atlas, we have separate locker rooms..."

The blonde gasped, "You didn't!"

"Yes, yes I did. My team leader wasn't exactly happy with my conduct, but it was so worth it." Sherry stared off into a point in space, recalling the moment, "It wasn't as if your uncle went without revenge however, his team beat ours handily in the doubles round. I remember it like it was yesterday."

Yang was about to ask her about how the match up went, when Qrow called out.

"Hey, Jaune's waking up!"

* * *

 **I'm sure there's more than a few of you who can accurately pick out what exactly about this chapter pissed me off so much. Winner gets one of Ruby's cookies, although I suggest only ingesting bits at a time.**

 **Maybe now Jaune will be able to get some actual down time? Probably not, but we can always pray.**

 **As usual, feel free to point out any grammatical mistakes you guys find, and let me know what you liked/disliked in a PM or a review.**

 **Until next time!**

 **P.S: Newton doesn't exist in Remnant, bi**h.**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	14. Debriefing

**Here you guys go, another chapter. A lot of exposition presented through dialogue, this time around - not a lot happening, but it's still necessary.**

 **I posted the first chapter of my other story "Just A Few Pointers" a couple days ago. I actually don't have much to say about it, but you guys can find it on my profile if you want to check it out.**

 **Also, I have no idea how, but this story is currently at just over 60k views. Guys, that's too much - you need to slow down. (Or maybe I need to slow down?)**

 **Here's the chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

The first thing Jaune felt as he came to, was the light vibration of being in motion. Or rather, being in a moving vehicle.

Was he in... a Bullhead? It made sense; if he was in a ground vehicle, the motion would be a little more... violent – more forced, as it hit light bumps or changed elevation.

With his eyes closed, Jaune could feel the peaceful hum of the Bullhead's jets, pushing the aircraft forwards. Jaune shifted just a tad, the glaring light overhead attempting to interrupt his rest. He brought an arm in front of his face to ward off the brightness above as he opened his eyes slightly.

Then a loud voice assailed his ears, causing a sharp pain in his head, albeit briefly. "Hey, Jaune's waking up!"

Was that... Mr. Branwen? "Qrow...?" Jaune attempted to prop himself up with one of his arms, but the older man gently pressed a hand down on the blonde's chest, holding him down. "What happened?"

The huntsman removed his hand when he was satisfied that Jaune wasn't going to be trying to get up again. Quieter this time, Qrow explained, "You're on a Bullhead, on the way back to Vale. You hit your head pretty bad when you launched yourself in. Are you okay?"

Jaune heard the pattering of feet – Shoes? Boots? – rushing towards him, and answered Qrow quickly, "I think so."

"Jaune!" The boy who had his name called winced at the volume, turning his head slightly as Yang came to kneel next to him. "Are you okay?"

Having to answer the question a second time, Jaune was more sure of his answer. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just have a bit of a headache, so if you could keep it down, that'd be great."

Yang nodded, before whispering, "Okay."

Jaune chuckled. "You don't have to be _that_ quiet. Just... no shouting? Or yelling or whatever."

With a groan, the blonde boy tilted his head forward and scanned the rest of the cargo bay. Nora and Ren were on board. They were standing a short distance away, watching curiously. Jaune gave Ren a nod from where he lay, which the other boy returned. Nora smiled – that same, infectious smile that brought yet another to Jaune's face.

"So, what did I miss?" Jaune pushed himself into a sitting position, Qrow not stopping him this time.

Yang turned to look over her shoulder – and Jaune noticed Sherry standing there. He recalled seeing her when he was running towards the Bullhead, but had almost forgotten she was there entirely. Yang posed the huntress a question, "Should I tell him, or do you want to?"

Uh oh. Jaune didn't like the sound of that.

With a sigh, the redheaded woman confirmed, "I'll do it. He deserves it. Could the two of you... give us some space though?" the huntress asked, referring to Qrow and Yang.

"I don't see why not." Qrow stood, gesturing for Yang to do the same. "I need to talk to Yang about something anyways."

With his instructor and best friend walking away, Jaune was left alone with Sherry. "So, do you want the short version? Or the long version?"

Jaune sighed. "I don't know, depends on what you're about to tell me." Whatever it was, he wasn't going to like it, was he? "I guess the long version is probably better."

"Alright. I'll give you the long version then." Sherry sat next to Jaune, cross-legged.

"So," she began, "It all started when the first report came in from the Nyurse militia. They noticed a marginally large increase in the Grimm population around the village – the beasts began roaming closer to the walls, and people were unable to leave, unless it was by air. They asked for assistance; whoever could be sent out to deal with the threat."

"Yeah, I knew that already. That was our mission; to take out as many as we came across while patrolling, right?" Jaune asked, waiting for Sherry to confirm.

"No." Sherry stated with an edge, "That wasn't your mission."

"'No'? What do you mean 'no'?" Jaune was confused. His description of the mission objective was simply a repetition of what Yang had told him they were supposed to do.

"We – me and Qrow – we... we lied to you. Again." Sherry was particularly interested in a spot on the Bullhead's floor. "The three of us were sent out as the vanguard. For a greater force of huntsmen, huntresses and students, preparing for Nyurse's evacuation.

"Me, you and Yang; we were sent out ta' thin the herd – not in an effort ta' simply protect the village, but ta' delay the inevitable. Nyurse was fated for destruction, since even before we showed up."

Jaune kept quiet, as he thought on the huntress' words. No matter how much he thought about it, it didn't quite make sense. "What do you mean, 'fated for destruction'? Were we fighting a losing battle the whole time?" Jaune trembled briefly at the thought.

"No, Jaune. No matter what happened ta' the village in the end, because we were out there fighting the Grimm, we saved lives." Sherry said reassuringly, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Had we not been out hunting the past two days, any Grimm we hadn't killed would have been another assailing the village. We didn't know when the attack was coming, simply that it _was_ coming. What we didn't know until just recently, was _why_."

Jaune nodded along. The _quake_. That... made sense. "So that quake that happened, it's what brought the Grimm in such numbers then?"

Sherry's eyes narrowed curiously. "Yeah, that's right. Creatures of Grimm aren't just attracted ta' negativity, but they also have an odd sense for natural disasters, much like the animals they represent. How'd you know that?"

"I read about it. In a book." His aunt's journal, actually.

"Hmm. Well, that makes this next bit easier to explain; I got a call, from the leader of the militia when we were out on our hunt. Do you remember that?" Jaune nodded his agreement. "He told me Nyurse was under attack. We weren't ready for it yet. I took you guys back ta' the village, and we split there."

"Yes, I remember that. That was your semblance, right? The weird trapdoor thing?"

Sherry smiled, "You're a lot smarter than I give you credit for." _Gee, thanks._ "My semblance allows me ta' connect a passage to any door I've been through, from wherever I am."

"So when I thought you were a mad woman, swinging your weapon around, you were trying to open other doors?"

"Yeah, but I can't create a passage ta' a door that's been locked, or one that's broken. I tried the Inn rooms first, and... well..."

"The Inn was destroyed," Jaune informed her, "Giant Nevermore, apparently."

"Such a shame that is. We still had one more night there."

Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at her grim sense of humor. "How many civilians did you get to the mines?"

"None." Sherry said, but before Jaune could interrupt her in a panic, she continued, "I took the people I rescued straight back ta' Vale with my semblance."

Jaune calmed quickly. "Oh." So all the houses they'd searched through had already been cleared out?

The blonde and the huntress sat in silence for a few moments. Jaune decided he needed to break said silence:

"But why'd you lie about it? About what we were doing?" Jaune knew – one hundred percent – that there was a reason, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Allow me ta' ask you something: If you and Yang knew that the village was in imminent danger, what would you have done?"

Jaune knew precisely what he'd have done, "I'd have protected the people."

"Exactly – you and Yang both. But there's a lesson I learned from an instructor of mine: 'If you act out ta' protect someone, then that person will believe they need protection.' The citizens of Nyurse would be _afraid,_ Jaune. And with Grimm massing beyond the walls, the last thing people need ta' feel is fear."

"I... understand." Jaune confirmed "And I forgive you. Qrow as well."

Sherry tilted her head, as if confused.

"For lying?" Jaune elaborated.

"Ah. Right. Tell you what..." Sherry stood, as everyone on board felt the Bullhead shift. It was almost as if everyone was attuned to the movements of the machine at this point. Sherry offered Jaune a hand, helping him up.

"How about this time, I owe _you_ a favor? You know, for lying."

As the bay doors to the Bullhead opened up, Jaune stepped towards them, smiling at the sun setting over the control tower at the Vale Airport.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds good." Suddenly, Jaune had a thought. "Hey Yang!" he called out, getting his blonde counterpart's attention.

"Yo, what's up?"

Jaune had to suppress a wild grin as he said, "It's too bad Sherry's first name isn't 'Tele'."

Yang's face scrunched up in confusion, even as her uncle brought a hand to his face in embarrassment. "Why's that?"

"Because then her name would be 'Tele Port'!" Jaune could no longer contain his mirth, laughing even as he was shoved from behind out the open door of the Bullhead. Apparently the huntress didn't appreciate the pun.

Despite the twenty foot drop to the landing pad below, the ringing of Yang's laughter was so worth it.

* * *

"Oh come on Sherry, you have to admit it was _clever_ at the least." Jaune egged the older woman on, as the crowd parted before the ragtag group of hunters and students.

Even Yang had to admit that. She'd actually outright laughed at the boy's earlier joke. The brawler had been caught off guard by it – and she was usually the witty one.

"No. What you said is stupid." Came the accented reply.

Yang had helped Jaune to his feet after his face-first landing strategy – one that had gotten a chuckle out of everyone who'd been on board the Bullhead except for the blonde girl. The girl was still a little worried, considering the boy had been unconscious just minutes before. Yet again, however, Jaune insisted he was fine.

There was no arguing with him about that though. Yang didn't notice anything wrong with how Jaune walked or talked, so she'd have to take his word for it.

"So, what now?" Nora asked – otherwise having been silent for an oddly long time, if their last few hours together had been any indication.

Qrow was the one who answered her as they entered the terminal building, "Every huntsman or huntresses' worst nightmare."

Sherry just scoffed at that. "Don't listen ta' him, honey. This is our job, just as much as killing Grimm is. Whatever happens, just stick close ta' each other, and you'll be fine."

Yang was about to quiz the huntress about what she meant, when suddenly she just realized exactly what the redhead was talking about.

The terminal – or at the very least, the section they were in – was turned into some kind of rescue area. Kind of like a refugee camp or something of the sort. There were people everywhere. Everyone from citizens of Nyurse, to medical staff, to airport security were rushing around, going about numerous tasks. There were barricades around the area, separating the camp from the rest of the airport. Yang could see flashes from over the protective walls, and safely assumed reporters and the like we're trying to get whatever info they could.

"Well," Sherry started off "I guess I'll go talk ta' the press. They'll want something, and the faster they get it, the faster they'll get out of here."

Qrow nodded in agreement "I'll see if I can't track down the mayor of Nyurse, let him know we were the last ones out." Sherry walked off, agreeing with Qrow's decision.

Yang was about to step in, ask what they should do, but Jaune did it for her: "And what about us?"

"Do what you can; ask around, see who needs help. Once things are sorted out here, we can all head home." Qrow answered. Yang didn't miss the ghost of a smile touching the edge of his lips. But her uncle wasn't smiling at them, or the thought of returning to Patch; it was someone he saw. "Oz."

Yang followed her uncle's eyes, and saw a fairly lanky man wearing a black suit. He had a dark green scarf, white hair, and a pair of glasses balanced on his nose. She'd have considered the man rather professional looking.

That is, if his suit didn't have a giant coffee stain on the front. She saw the cup in his hand, and from that point on, only made assumptions.

"Qrow." The man spoke. "It's been awhile. It's unfortunate that we have to meet over such a tragic occasion. It's almost as if trouble follows the same path you walk." The man took a sip of his coffee, likely having been refilled at some point since his accident.

"Well, you know me, Oz." Qrow shrugged "I'm going to go talk with the mayor, wherever he is. Care to join me?"

The man let out a thoughtful hum. "Hmm. Actually I'd rather have a word with these four, if you don't mind."

Did he mean _them_?

Qrow shrugged again, "Go right ahead." Yang's uncle strode to move past the man known as Oz pausing to whisper something as he went by. The taller man's eyes trailed over the four students, resting on each for but a brief moment, before he nodded.

With her uncle stalking away, the four students were left with the tall, white haired man, who continued to stare.

After a few seconds of agonizing silence, the one who broke said silence was the least likely. Ren, the boy from Siren, said the first words "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Ozpin."

Wait, a professor? Yang had to think about that for a moment. Was he from Beacon?

"Ah, someone who knows who I am. That makes this easier." The man remarked with a light smile, "And you are?"

"Lie Ren, Siren Academy."

"And that makes the girl next to you Nora Valkyrie, yes?"

At the mention of her name, the girl spoke up. "Oooh, are you like, psychic or something? Are you in my head right now? Quick, tell me what I'm thinking of!"

Ozpin chuckled at the girl's antics. "No, I'm not psychic. Just very observant." The professor turned, regarding Yang with a brief smile. "Miss Xiao Long. Last time I saw you, you were barely walking. I'm sure your mother would be quite proud of the woman you're growing up to be."

Wait, this man knew her mother? That means he might know where she went, or better yet, why. "How do you know my mom?"

She didn't miss the glint in his eyes, "Why, the same way I know your uncle." Yang waited for the man to continue, before instead, he turned to regard Jaune. "And you."

"Me?" Yes you, you _idiot_! Hurry up so I can grill this guy for answers. This was the first good lead she had in a while, there'd be hell to pay if it got away from her.

"You look… oddly familiar. Would you happen to be the son of Aurum Arc? _Jaune_ … I think it was?"

"Yeah, that's right." Jaune said uneasily.

The man smiled. It looked genuine to Yang. "I might have to have a word with the old commander; It's been quite some time. Regardless, I would like to speak with the four of you, individually, and get your accounts of what occurred today. If you would come with me please."

The professor led the students through the crowds, and Yang couldn't help but notice how they parted for the man. Despite how they made to move out of his way, the man offered apologies as he weaved his way through the mass of people.

Eventually, they made it to one of the airports many side rooms. "Head on inside, Mr. Arc – I'd like to speak with you first. The rest of you can wait on this bench here." The man gestured with his cane, something Yang hadn't noticed until just now. It was decorated too ornately to simply be used for medical purposes, so Yang assumed it was his weapon.

Although Yang was slightly miffed at not being able to go first, she didn't necessarily envy Jaune. This Professor Ozpin showed a strange interest in him, and to Yang that seemed like danger. Jaune must have felt similarly, if the glance he gave her was any indication.

Yang gave him a reassuring smile and nod, as the door closed between them, before turning to sit down on the bench.

* * *

Jaune shuffled uncomfortably as he attempted to settle into the rickety chair. The man he only knew as Professor Ozpin sat across from him, staring while taking a sip from his mug.

They'd simply sat there. Neither spoke a word since they entered the room a few minutes ago; Jaune hadn't simply because he was being respectful, waiting patiently for the man to go first. As for why the man hadn't said anything, Jaune hadn't a clue. It made Jaune uncomfortable.

If anything, though, Jaune was more annoyed that they were wasting time. Qrow had asked them to help where they could, and the longer they spent in silence, the less time he'd be helping.

Finally, when Jaune was about to burst, Ozpin spoke "You're really quite patient, aren't you?"

His statement surprised Jaune. "I'm sorry?"

"You don't need to hide your eagerness to help, Mr. Arc. It's quite admirable. However, with that said, I'll keep this brief." The man slid his mug onto the table, leaning forwards.

"I'd like for you to tell me, in precise detail, everything that happened since you left the mines."

"Everything?"

"Everything." The man confirmed, tenting his fingers.

"Well, I guess I should start with the Ursa Major we took down…"

Jaune described their first encounter upon leaving the mines. Ozpin listened quietly, asking few questions until they hit a topic that Jaune still felt slightly uneasy about.

"So you're saying," the professor paused to take a sip of his coffee, "that you came across the corpse of a Beowolf that hadn't deteriorated?"

"Yeah. It's body was cold. Is that rare?"

"Rare? Mr. Arc, its almost unheard of. For a Grimm corpse to remain, it needs to have died in a place of great negativity. Obviously, there are numerous things we still yet know about the Grimm, so it could be any number of other reasons as well. Nyurse was low on our negativity index, so it's likely the latter.

"I know that's something that's been troubling you - I can see it on your face. But there's something else, isn't there?" The man guessed, and Jaune nodded; the professor hit the nail on the head.

He wasn't sure if Yang or one of the other two had told Qrow or Sherry, but Jaune had to tell this man about who he saw in Nyurse.

"There is. A woman showed up, at the ruins of the Inn we stayed at. She wore a white cloak, and a red and white mask." Jaune watched as the huntsman's eyes narrowed, "She called herself 'the succeeded' or something like that, before she disappeared. "

"Interesting. She called herself, 'Succeeded'?"

"Yeah. Does that mean anything to you?"

The white haired man pushed his glasses up, "No. It means nothing."

Jaune didn't believe the man, but it wasn't as if he could question his honesty – he was clearly the man in control.

"What happened after the woman disappeared?" The professor asked, prompting Jaune to continue recounting his tale.

"We called the huntress me and Yang had been sent out with originally; Sherry Port…"

Jaune finished explaining what happened, ending off with how he launched himself into the Bullhead – everything else, he figured one of the other students could regale. He'd been unconscious for that, after all.

Professor Ozpin took another sip from his mug of coffee. Jaune noticed that the man had to tilt it further back than before, perhaps an indication of how long the boy had spent talking.

"You said you launched yourself using your weapon. May I see it?"

Jaune leaned forwards slightly, reaching behind himself for Horizon. Yang returned it to him as soon as they got to the airport. The girl had been holding onto it while he was out. He handed it to the well dressed man.

Ozpin received it, grip first. His eyes held something Jaune couldn't recognize. When the older man smiled, however, Jaune allowed himself to relax. "My oh my, I didn't think I'd ever expect to see something like this in the hands of someone other than an old friend of mine."

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Jaune was confused. "Pardon?"

The professor looked over his glasses at Jaune, still holding his mischievous smile, "You based this off of some old Atlas tech, didn't you?"

Jaune nodded, but otherwise kept quiet. How did the man figure that out?

As it turns out, Jaune didn't even have to ask out loud, as the man explained while handing him back his weapon, "I actually have a friend in Atlas who just so happens to have a weapon eerily similar to yours. I'm assuming the two of you used the same source material, but had different takes on it – like two artists, painting the same mountain range."

Jaune didn't quite get the analogy, but nodded along as he returned Horizon to the small of his back.

Ozpin shook his head – although not negatively. "You two even have it holstered in the same place. How quaint. But enough of that; I believe we are done here. Send in Miss Xiao Long on your way out. We'll see each other again soon enough."

The blonde boy didn't know how to respond to that, instead bowing politely as he stood. He turned, but could not shake the feeling that the man continued to watch him, even as he left the room.

It made him uneasy.

"Yang, you're up." Jaune called out, closing the door behind him. The gauntlet user hopped to her feet.

"Gee, it's about time." The girl strode past him, entering the room quickly.

Jaune sighed as he went to sit next to Ren and Nora.

"So, is he psychic?"

"Nora..." Ren trailed off, not willing to say more.

Jaune shook his head, "Nope." The boy really wanted to go and help – with anything. But he was going to wait for Yang, and then Nora, and then Ren; or whatever order they were going to be questioned in.

That's what Sherry had said, anyways. To stick together.

Nothing left now, but the wait.

* * *

 **Oh gee, finally I begin to wrap up this arc (no pun intended).**

 **I bet there's more than a few of you who can guess exactly who Ozpin is referring to as his friend from Atlas, but I mean really... at least now the legendary 'gun-gun' is canon.**

 **I'm planning on alternating writing chapters for both my stories, so expect "Just A Few Pointers" to be updated soon - I'll be getting it's next chapter done pretty quickly. if only so I can get chapter 15 to you guys quicker.**

 **As always, point out anything grammatically incorrect, or something you like/dislike in a review. I love getting feedback from you guys; even if it's negative.**

 **'Till next time!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	15. Brushes and Bandages

**Yo!**

 **Some of you are going to hate this one, and some of you will like it. I'm not sure which side of the spectrum I'm on.**

 **I'm probably somewhere in the middle.**

 **Either way, Enjoy!**

 **(P.S: If thing's seem redundant, please point them out. I'm very bad at planning, so if you see any inconsistencies, please let me know.)**

* * *

"Hey Ruby, do you mind if I borrow your wire brush?"

The girl in the red and black dress – _combat skirt,_ whatever she called it – didn't even look up from what she was doing with her weapon, "Yeah, go right ahead Jaune. Just don't lend it to Yang if she comes in."

The boy smiled lightly, even though Ruby wasn't looking. He reached across the long table in the forge the two were sitting at, grabbing the brush. "I bet there's a story behind that, isn't there?"

The silver eyed girl looked up from Crescent Rose this time, with a grin a little more enthusiastic than Jaune's. "I used to have a different brush. Yang tried to use it for her _hair_ of all things. Long story short, I didn't get it back."

Jaune looked at the wooden brush in his hands. It's steel bristles were not something he'd imagine Yang using for her hair – _ever_. Ruby didn't even specify whether Yang kept the brush – or disposed of it immediately for the damage it possibly caused. The blonde shrugged it off, before placing his shield on the counter in front of him, sure to pull Crocea Mors out, placing the blade to the side.

It was time to get something done.

As Jaune brought the brush across the ridged face of the shield, he began to scrub away at what little paint remained after what had been through since Atlas. A rare spark flew as the metal bristles scraped against the bare face of the shield.

It had been three days since his and Yang's return to Patch, and Jaune was having... a _difficult_ time stepping back into routine. Qrow was visibly surprised when Jaune had shown up to class, considering the teacher gave him the first day of the week off. When his huntsman instructor had asked him why he'd bothered making an appearance come the lunch break, the student answered as honestly as he could:

Considering what had happened most recently, what with the ' _Nyurse incident_ ', as people were calling it, and what happened at the Schnee lab weeks before that, being in class had actually _felt_ to Jaune like he was taking a break. After all, in the past month since Colors Day, he'd been at Signal for two days at the most. And even then, one of those days was only a half day, as him and Yang had been given the partial day off to prepare for their trip to Atlas.

The worst part of being back in school, was that Jaune had been uneasy – tense, almost – during his lessons earlier in the day. As if White Fang operatives were going to come crawling out of the walls, or as if the ground was suddenly going to open up and swallow him whole. Logically, neither of those things were likely to occur.

But the blonde had a nagging feeling that _something_ was going to happen. And he hated that feeling.

While he continued to scrub at the flakes of white and gold color left on the shield, he glanced up at Ruby, and then around the room. There were an abnormal amount of students in the forge today – and many of them met Jaune's eyes briefly before quickly looking away.

As far as Jaune knew, none of the students had a clue as to what exactly he or Yang had done in the previous month. But of course, as the two blondes had spent so much time away from class, rumors had run amok, quickly spreading. He'd heard almost everything; that they were out on top secret missions – which was kinda true – to that they were skipping classes to spend more time ' _together'._ Something that both Jaune and Yang had to deny multiple times.

Of course, the largest rumor of all, was that both of them were receiving individual training, in order to prepare for the graduation ceremony match.

It certainly wasn't the strangest rumor, but it was one that made Jaune think. The graduation ceremony match was the final spar of the year, held between the two highest ranked students at Signal every year. Yang, despite student's grades not being public knowledge, was obviously top of the class – while her written scores probably weren't the best, she'd hadn't lost a single match her entire time at Signal.

Jaune overheard that he was the only person who actually put up a decent fight against the brawler – people simply assumed that he was second based off of that, considering combat scores weren't based on your win-loss, but your overall performance in matches.

The boy shook his head at the thought. There was _no way_ he was second. He had too much weighing him down from his previous years of poor scoring.

"Jaune?" The blonde stopped scrubbing as he noticed Ruby tried to get his attention. "Were you listening?"

"No, sorry." He apologized, smiling even as Ruby pouted. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you ever fixed your shield. Or found out what was wrong with it, or whatever. You said it wasn't shifting or something?"

Jaune shook his head, "No. It's really, _really_ frustrating. See, watch." He pressed the button that typically prompted the equipment to change forms. Nothing happened. "It's been like this ever since Atlas."

Ruby nodded, although curiosity was evident on her face. It was likely she didn't know much about his and Yang's trip to Atlas either. Aside from that they were both gone for a week, and that Jaune had to take two weeks off after it, Jaune assumed the girl didn't know anything. There was nothing about the White Fang attack on the lab, and if there was, it would have certainly been obvious where he and Yang would have been.

Nyurse, however, had been all over the news, though Ruby hadn't connected the dots yet.

"Have you tried using your aura to shift it?" Ruby asked suddenly, breaking Jaune's train of thought.

 _His aura_? Jaune shook his head, "No. What do you mean?"

Ruby swept her sniper-scythe hybrid off the table, quickly making sure the area immediately around her was clear. The weapon was still in it's ranged form. "You see the release here?" Ruby pointed to a switch near the trigger, "I'm not going to touch it."

The girl was holding on to the stock of her rifle when – without touching the switch – the rifle slowly shifted into its scythe form. "See? You can use your aura instead."

Jaune was amazed. " _Wow_. That's actually so cool!"

Jaune looked down at his shield, sitting on the counter. He picked it up, sliding it along his arm. He still wasn't the best at concentrating his aura, but after a few seconds of light strain, a soft white glow enveloped his left arm. He looked up at Ruby, who watched on excitedly.

Then Jaune pushed his aura into the shield. It was _odd_ \- it wasn't like he had to force it or anything. It was as if the shield was, in fact, pulling on his Aura. The same soft glow that had previously only surrounded his arm, was now wrapped around the shield.

"Try willing it to close." Was Ruby's advice.

Jaune did so, and the shield slid back upon itself, condensing into its sheath form with a satisfying click – one he hadn't felt in a long time.

It _worked_! Jaune laughed, as he rapidly extended and retracted his shield, pulsing his aura. He was _unstoppable_!

The sound of Ruby clearing her throat from across the table broke Jaune`s momentary reverie. The blonde looked around, noticing the stares he'd accumulated. All the other students averted their eyes and went back to whatever they were doing.

Except for Ruby, who began giggling. Jaune blushed lightly – he _did_ over do it, after all, if only just a little. With the shield still extended, there was only one thing left to test; he pressed the button, and was surprised when it shifted forms effortlessly.

Huh.

"Thanks _so_ much Ruby, you have no idea how much trouble I've had with this thing."

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

Jaune smiled, "Yeah."

The boy fully extended his shield again, and then proceeded to remove it, returning to scrubbing.

He was going to have to do something nice for the girl later – he really owed her one.

* * *

The rain didn't usually bother Jaune. In fact, he found it quite soothing. But not now – not when it was nearly below freezing, and he was forced to walk home in the torrential downpour. There was no doubt that if it was colder, there would have been a brutal blizzard.

Jaune's feet splashed through the puddles of slush – snow still remained, even though winter was waning – as he jogged towards his apartment, his hoodie and shirt already soaked through. He would have held his shield above his head, using it to ward off the rain, but he'd left it back at Signal's forge. He'd just finished painting it, and wanted to let it dry.

Once he got back to his place though, at least he'd be able to strip the wet layers of clothing and take a nice warm shower.

Jaune shivered, and the boy picked up the pace as his apartment complex came into view. He rushed up the stairs, waving a quick hello to his landlady, which she returned.

As the blonde reached his door, he had a thought. He recalled how it felt when he 'aura-shifted' his shield earlier, but what else did that work with?

He gathered his aura, the white light coalescing in his arm once again. He then pushed it through to his fingers, hesitating, before placing his hand on the doorknob.

Jaune had to be gentle. Although Ruby was the one who gave him the idea for using his aura to manipulate his shield, he wasn't exactly sure how other things would react. It was possible that if he used too much, the complex mechanisms within the doorknob could break, leaving him locked outside.

Moments passed, as Jaune stood with his hand resting right over the doorknob. Working something so much smaller than his shield, he had to take extra care as to not mess too much with the lock. He felt it out, lifting what he assumed to be individual tumblers with his aura. It was something, he noted, took his utmost concentra-

"Hey Jaune!"

The doorknob exploded in his grip, the sharp pieces of metal cutting into his hand.

"Gah! Yang, what the _hell?_ " Why hadn't his aura protected him?

"Jaune! Are you okay?" His blonde friend asked, voice slightly concerned. Jaune had been so focused on what he was doing with the doorknob, he didn't even know she came up to him. Why was she there?

His left arm was shaking – bleeding profusely, "No I'm not okay, I just blew a hole in my apartment door!"

Yang scoffed, "Oh it can't be that bad, your aura should have-" He turned so she could see his hand, "Oh, you're bleeding!?"

"Yes I'm bleeding!" Jaune nearly shouted, pushing his way through the door that was now, for better or worse, technically unlocked. He didn't bother removing his shoes, rushing to the bathroom. Yang followed him all the way in.

"Why isn't your aura healing you?"

"I don't know!" Jaune rested his arm on the counter, his wounded hand hovering over the sink. Blood dripped from his fingertips.

"Here, let me help." Yang said softly, moving to stand next to Jaune in front of the sink. His arm continued to shake, so Yang clamped one hand around his wrist to hold it steady. He got a better look at the damage – it wasn't pretty.

"You should look away." Yang suggested. Jaune did so, and he felt Yang begin to pull the pieces out.

The seconds felt like they dragged on and on. Jaune winced a few times, but otherwise remained quiet, Yang doing what she could.

"If you think about it, this is actually kind of funny." Yang mentioned, chuckling briefly.

Jaune stared at her in disbelief. "You think this is _funny_?" He asked, truly offended. "I'm in pain here, Yang."

Yang looked up to Jaune, her expression changing as she likely realized that her words offended him. "Jaune that's not what I meant!" She said quickly. Yang returned to working on his hand. "I just... what with all that's happened to you in the past month – that's happened to _us_... did you really see yourself being injured by a doorknob of all things?"

Jaune's other hand clenched in a fist, while he forced a smile through the pain. Yang continued to pull the sharp objects from his hand. "No, I certainly didn't. But then again, door knobs aren't exactly high on my list of threats."

He saw Yang smile in the reflection of the bathroom mirror, and felt her chuckle slightly. "You took a bullet to the shoulder not even a month ago, fighting against terrorists in a secret lab. You killed a Deathstalker in _two shots_. If door knobs are even on your list, I think you need a new one." Jaune felt her tug on another piece, and he groaned. "You're going to need to flip your hand over – this one went straight through."

Jaune repositioned, and Yang removed the troublesome shard. The last of the intruding metal gone, Yang turned on the tap, washing Jaune's hand for him with lukewarm water. Grabbing some bandages from under the sink, she then proceeded to dress his wounds.

The cuts ached, but they would heal eventually. Yang tied a little knot at his wrist, holding the bandages in place. "Thanks Yang."

"Anytime Jaune. Just try not to get assaulted by any more pieces of furniture, okay?" Yang smiled, walking back out into the living area, allowing Jaune to leave the bathroom. "So what happened?"

He didn't dare mention that her surprising him was what caused the doorknob to explode in the first place.

Jaune passed Yang one of two towels, having grabbed them on the way. The girl nodded her appreciation, toweling her exposed limbs dry, before getting to work on her hair.

He closed the door, realizing he'd have to buy a replacement doorknob right away. "I decided it would be a good idea to try and unlock my door using only my aura. I might have used a little much."

Yang stared at Jaune as he removed his hoodie, being careful not to disturb his recently injured hand. "And that caused the explosion?"

Jaune nodded, hanging the damp hoodie over his desk chair. As he turned to continue his conversation with Yang, something that was heavy, wet, and that smelled _amazing_ flew at his face. He peeled Yang's warm leather jacket off of him, and draped it over his chair as well, trying desperately to suppress the blush on his face.

"So, you done that book yet?" Yang asked as she removed her boots. Why was she getting undressed?

Jaune sighed, grabbing the book from the top of his desk. He supposed with the weather as it was, she was going to be there for awhile. Being the shared interest of both blondes, he handed the novel to the girl. "Just finished it last night."

Yang held the book high above, proclaiming "Finally!" She fell back onto Jaune's bed, flipping pages until she found where she'd left off previously. All Yang had left on was her yellow tank-top, her black shorts and her socks.

In mere moments, it was as if for the blonde girl there was no one else in the room. Jaune shook his head, trying to figure out how exactly he was going to shower with only one hand – or rather, how he was going to shower while keeping the one arm dry.

Short of holding the arm outside the shower while it was running, he couldn't think of any decent ideas. He gave up on that, instead sitting on the bed next to Yang. Despite having done their best to dry off, the two of them were still rather damp.

"So, you ready to fight me in the ceremony on Friday, Jaune?" Yang asked, which surprised Jaune. He thought she was already lost in her own little world.

 _Not her too_. "I don't think I'm fighting. Someone else is second best, I guarantee it."

"Nope. You're fighting me." Yang said certainly, and Jaune turned to face the girl, who was looking up at him from where she lay.

"You... you're serious, aren't you?"

"Yep. I overheard my dad and uncle talking about it. We're not actually supposed to know, but whatever."

Huh. Well, that's interesting. Why was he second? "Then yeah, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Not much I can do in three days to get any better." Jaune added.

Yang hummed doubtfully. "Well, you have a better chance than any other student at taking me down."

"You think?"

Yang sat up, a taunting grin on her face. "Yeah, you've got a _chance_. You're not going to win, but you have a chance."

Jaune had to grin in return, moving to use his bandaged hand to ruffle Yang's hair, much like he would one of his sisters.

Doing so, however, proved to be a bad idea, as Jaune found a fist in his gut the moment he touched the girl's golden locks. _Right_. The _hair_.

"Ow, Yang, come on." Jaune gasped, the pain fading quickly. "I'm already injured."

"Nuh-uh. The hair is off limits, you should know that by now." The brawler growled, eyes narrowed dangerously

The two sat in silence for a moment. Even with the sudden tension between the two, neither wanted to move apart.

And then Jaune saw Yang's shoulders dip, the girl's previously angry expression, relaxed. "You… actually, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Hmm?" Jaune hummed inquisitively.

"My hair's… kinda a mess right now because of the rain. Do you think you could… brush it for me?"

Jaune couldn't decide if his heart wanted to speed up or stop.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be right back."

The boy stood abruptly, practically running to the bathroom. He opened one of the drawers, pulling a brush out, and went back where Yang was sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Just be gentle." Was all Yang said, turning her back to Jaune upon his arrival. "You pull out a single strand, and you're dead meat."

Jaune gulped, suddenly very afraid, sitting behind the blonde girl. He had tons of experience with his sisters already – heck, they'd pretty much forced him to do their hair whenever they could. But if he made a single wrong move... the boy didn't even want to think about what would happen. Jaune took a mass of Yang's long trusses, and began brushing. Her hair was still slightly damp, but it was silky smooth in Jaune's uninjured hand.

It was quite comical, the difference between brushing a girls hair and scraping paint off a shield.

He much preferred the hair.

They sat there, Jaune slowly brushing, as Yang faced away from him. He wanted to see what her face looked like – to know if he was doing a good job.

Jaune, attempting to distract himself from the moment, decided to ask Yang a question. "So why do you take such good care of your hair, Yang?" It was something Jaune had always wanted to know; Her hair was practically immaculate – and it was an unspoken rule at Signal not to mess with it, unless you liked having broken bones.

A minute passed, and Jaune was sure his friend wasn't going to respond. Suddenly, Yang took a breath, leaning back slightly. "Ruby's mom always used to brush my hair. She took such good care of it for me… I wasn't her biological child, but she always treated me as if I was."

The girl sighed as Jaune continued brushing. He listened quietly. "After me and Ruby would be done playing outside, my hair would always be a mess. Summer would always brush it out, before I'd go to bed – and then she'd do it again in the morning, when I woke up. She always seemed so… _happy_ , whenever she was doing my hair. Then one day she… didn't come back from a mission. I've cared for my own hair ever since, in her memory."

Jaune nodded, and although Yang couldn't see it, she probably felt the motion.

After a few moments, Yang spoke again, "Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"You're going to Beacon, right?"

He wasn't expecting the question, because Yang already knew he was; heck, he told her multiple times already – but she just kept asking him.

Why?

"Mhm." Jaune murmured affirmatively "It's where my parents went, after all."

The blonde who was getting her hair brushed let out a relaxed sigh. "Mine too."

As he finished up with Yang's hair, the brush now wet, Jaune still had to know one thing. "Why do you keep asking me?"

"I'm just making sure, Jaune. Just making sure."

* * *

 **The chapter's short. I'm sorry, but I had to end it there. It would have been too awkward to transition to the next part, all things considered. Besides, things are really going to pick up next chapter - this one was just necessary in certain ways.**

 **Some of you might be wondering what happened with the Nyurse refugees and what not. And about Nora and Ren. And Yang's meeting with Ozpin. That'll all be covered later - I haven't forgotten about any of those things.**

 **Don't forget to like and subscribe! Wait, wrong website.**

 **'Till next time! :D**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	16. Graduation

**Oh boy, that finale though. That's all I'm saying on that front.**

 **Putting this out now, simply because I'm not going to be able to get around to it later. It's piss-poor timing, in reality.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

The day was finally here.

The day that he, Jaune Arc, would graduate from Signal Academy.

It was a day of celebration for many, Jaune included. In the bleachers of Vale's _Meridian Stadium_ , first-through-third year students, family, and huntsmen and huntress enthusiasts congregated. Meridian Stadium typically was home to the Vale Regional Tournament, other sporting events, concerts, and whatnot, but today – like the many years before – it was home to the Signal Graduation Ceremony.

Jaune, however, had only been inside the building on three separate occasions; once for every graduation ceremony he attended since starting out at Signal – it was mandatory for the lower grades to see off their seniors.

But today he wasn't going to be in the stands, watching – he was going to be participating. He was _graduating_.

If what Yang said was true, he also was going to be fighting on the stage, in front of thousands of people locally, and even more who weren't present – the ones watching from around Remnant.

Oddly enough, Jaune wasn't even nervous about that. If anything, he was _excited_.

After all, he was going to be fighting in front of his family; His mom, dad, and Lily – the only sister who could come. He was sure his other sisters would watch it later on their scrolls, if they weren't going to be watching the live broadcast.

Jaune had talked with his parents and Lily on the way. He'd gone home, and the four of them had all walked to the arena together. They could have driven, but parking was _atrocious,_ apparently. The four Arcs talked about a lot of things, ranging from Jaune's dad's previous mission, to Lily telling Jaune she was going to be going to Signal when she was of age – though that surprised him.

He couldn't see Lily as a huntress – at least not yet.

Along the way, there was one thing that Jaune didn't mention: He hadn't told them that he'd be fighting. He wanted to surprise them.

Jaune and his family had to split upon arriving. Jaune went to get ready, while his parents and sister went to go find themselves seats.

Currently, the blonde was standing in line, waiting patiently for the staff of Signal academy to get everyone organized. They all needed to walk out into the ceremony in alphabetical order – or else certain students would be introduced with the wrong name, and that was just something that nobody wanted.

They all worked hard to reach this point, and they each wanted to be recognized for it.

Of course, this meant Jaune had no one to talk to. Yang was the only person he could call a true friend, and she was way at the back.

The blonde looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists in order to stop the shaking. His wounds from the doorknob incident were fully healed, not even a scar remaining.

"Nervous, Arc?"

Jaune looked up, and met pale green eyes. The girl with short, spiky brown hair in front of him in the line was vaguely familiar, but her name didn't exactly spring to mind.

"Just a bit." Jaune confirmed, willing to at least make small talk with this girl who apparently knew him. He was a student, she was a student; there was nothing wrong with being friendly. "More like I'm anxious."

"Can't blame you. It's not every day you get to fight in front of such a huge crowd." A name Jaune didn't hear blared through the speakers in the arena, and a small cheer went up as the line proceeded forwards. The procession was beginning. "Not to mention you're fighting Yang."

Jaune didn't question her – almost all the students already had a pretty good idea of who was fighting.

"I think I'll do okay."

" _Okay_? You'd better win, Arc. I've got money riding on this."

Jaune chuckled nervously, but otherwise didn't respond.

The line moved at a decent pace, and Jaune's heart beat faster as he got closer and closer to the black curtain that separated the anxious students from their futures.

It felt like he was second in line to go out in no time at all. A woman with an ear piece holding a scroll had her arm out, stopping the girl in front of Jaune from proceeding. The staff member who was controlling their progress lifted her arm, and the girl turned and gave Jaune a wink. "Good luck."

Jaune simply nodded in return.

His fellow student walked out, pushing the curtains apart and the speakers announced her entrance: "Agate Arbor."

Sadly enough, the name didn't ring any bells for Jaune, although he knew he'd heard it before. The light murmur of the spectators confirmed that it at least had some meaning.

The blonde had no time to think about it. He stepped forward, halting where Agate had just stood. He took a deep breath.

The woman lifted her arm and gave Jaune a nod. Jaune stepped forward, parting the curtains with his hands.

He walked out into the spotlight, and the crowd quieted down.

Then the speakers roared to life all around the arena. "Jaune Arc."

It wasn't as if the crowd leapt to their feet, chanting his name, but Jaune did notice that the resulting murmur caused by his name being announced was much, _much_ louder than the one Agate got before him. The sudden buzz of chatter almost caught the blonde off guard.

But Jaune didn't allow it to faze him, striding forward with a natural, confident smile. His father's advice to him was just that – to be confident, and to smile; today was _his_ day.

There was only one thought Jaune really had though, walking across the stage on his way to where he was to be seated: _Don't trip_.

Jaune made it to the edge of the stage/arena area and managed to make it down the stairs without incident. He breathed a sigh of relief. _He hadn't embarrassed himself yet._ As he was about to proceed down the row to sit in what he assumed to be his designated seat - one next to Agate – a staff member who had been waiting for him directed him to sit in a seat that was much closer to the stairs, separated from the group.

Well, if anything, being sat outside of alphabetical order pretty much confirmed that Jaune would be fighting. For something that was supposed to be kept quiet, they certainly liked making it quite obvious what was going on. Well, at least to the students, or anyone else paying close enough attention.

Jaune watched on as the next name was called, and another student came out. Jaune was repeatedly passed by faces both vaguely familiar and completely unknown. Some of his former classmates gave him polite nods and light smiles as they went by. There was even one boy who whispered his condolences.

Jaune was just glad that there was somebody else who understood how he really felt about what would be coming up: He was going to be fighting _Yang_.

Sure, he'd improved, but Jaune didn't think it was nearly enough to be able to beat Yang straight up. It was going to take every shred of effort he had to even have a chance of winning.

Long story short, Jaune was about to get his ass kicked on national television.

The least he could do was look cool while it was happening.

"Yang Xiao Long."

As Jaune expected, the crowd was much louder than when he walked out. As his friend crossed the stage, she pumped a fist in the air, and the crowd actually began cheering.

 _Show off_.

Yang didn't even move towards sitting with the other students when she reached the bottom of the stairs, instead turning and sitting in the seat next to Jaune.

"Well this is nice, isn't it?" It almost sounded as if Yang was just talking about the weather.

"Mhmm." Was Jaune's hummed response.

"What's the matter, grumpy gills?" Yang poked him in the side, causing him to flinch. "Be happy! We're graduating!"

Jaune shook his head, "I'm not grumpy. Just…"

"Nervous?"

Yang couldn't be further from the truth. Jaune turned and smiled at her. "At this point, I'm more excited than anything. Focused."

"Well, then you've got a weird way of showing it." The brawler remarked.

"What about you then?"

"Huh?"

Jaune elaborated. "What about you, you nervous?"

His blonde friend leaned in a little closer, half whispering – although that was more for effect. "I'm coming into this undefeated. I'm planning on leaving it undefeated."

Jaune figured as much. Yang, nervous? _Puh-lease_.

"But to answer your question, maybe just a little? I'm going up against second best in the class, after all, and I've heard he's only ever had one match. Can you believe that?"

Jaune couldn't help but grin. "Gee, he sounds like quite a badass."

"Yeah, but I hear he's got a weakness to doorknobs and beautiful blondes with long silken hair, so I think I'll be okay."

"Yang, I didn't know you were a _doorknob_." Jaune chuckled. "You should have told me."

Yang growled lightly "Damn, I really set you up for that one, didn't I?"

The two blondes went quiet, as it wasn't a student that next stepped out from behind the curtain. It was Qrow – of all people, _Qrow_ – taking center stage with a microphone in hand.

"Oh no." Yang's words echoed Jaune's thoughts exactly.

There was no doubt that Qrow Branwen could teach. But Yang had told Jaune that public speaking wasn't exactly his forte.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Signal Graduation Ceremony." He began.

"This may be a ceremony, but it is also a celebration; a celebration of how hard you worked, and how far you've come. For some of you, this is going to be the biggest day of your life – the day you finally graduate combat school, and are able to move on to your careers, whatever they may be. For others, this may just be a stepping stone...

"But for your family, friends, and the teachers who helped you along the way, this day may not be their biggest – but it is most certainly one of their _proudest._ I look among you, and I see familiar faces – whether I've only just passed you by in the halls, or had a one-to-one chat regarding your future, no matter who you are, I am proud of you – no, _Signal..._ is proud of you."

Qrow sighed into the microphone. "I've never been much of a talker – heck, this speech is something I'm really just making up on the fly anyways. But know this: we live in a world where words can only get you so far. I don't ever recall talking down an Ursa from a fight, and if you've been paying attention in class, you should know that isn't possible."

A chuckle of soft agreement sprouted from among the soon to be graduates.

"Whether your future lies in law enforcement, the military, or even beyond the walls of Vale, know that you are prepared – that Signal has prepared you the best it can. Know that actions speak louder than words. And most importantly, keep moving forward." Qrow paused, as he looked around the arena, as if thinking of something else to say.

"Now then, can I get Jaune Arc and Yang Xiao Long to come up on stage?"

What, really? _Already_? Jaune had expected maybe a couple more speeches, or... _something_ before his bout.

The crowd erupted into a cheer, likely realizing what was going on.

Jaune really wished he could see the looks on his parents' faces.

The blonde boy grinned, standing in unison with Yang. Despite Yang's insistence that Qrow was a terrible public speaker, his words got Jaune's blood pumping. The two soon-to-be graduates hopped up the steps, walking over to where Qrow stood, before turning and facing the front of the stage.

Once both were standing still, Qrow continued. "These two students have shown - both in class and out in the field – that they are capable. They stand here as representatives of the thirty-sixth graduating class of Signal Academy. These two students will spar, to demonstrate their ability, and what they have learned."

Qrow turned off the mic, leaning over to say something to Yang. Jaune didn't catch it. Yang smiled, nodded, and then jogged away, turning to face the middle, grinning.

The veteran huntsman leaned in Jaune's direction, whispering. "Hey, kid, good luck. Try not to lose too quickly, yeah?"

Jaune shook his head good naturedly with a smile of his own. "I wasn't planning on it."

Qrow let out a short laugh, before gesturing for Jaune to go stand at his respective starting place.

As Jaune walked over – he didn't run like Yang, that would be wasting precious energy – he began thinking through various strategies for taking down his classmate and friend.

Just because the odds were against him, didn't mean it wasn't worth a shot.

Despite the time the two had spent together, it wasn't as if Jaune and Yang knew each others styles all that well. Sure, Jaune had seen her fighting plenty while they were on their Nyurse mission, but aside from that – and their first spar with each other – he really didn't have anything to work with.

Heck, when they were working together, they had such good chemistry – able to read off each others cues. But now that Yang was his opponent once again?

He had no clue what he should do.

He couldn't outlast her – her offense was just too strong. It wasn't likely that he could take her down quick enough without suffering through her semblance-empowered attacks. How did he even do so well against her in their first match?

If he tried to draw the fight out, he'd lose. If he tried to end it too quickly, he'd _lose_.

 _I'll just do my best, I guess._

Qrow had turned the microphone back on, and spoke into it. "Are both fighters ready?" Was the question that reverberated around the arena.

Jaune, already having Crocea Mors and it's sheath across his arm, expanded the shield, it's twin golden arcs burning bright gold in the arena's lighting. He was glad he'd repainted it before the ceremony.

The boy reached around his back, wrapping his hand around Horizon's grip, but not pulling it from it's holster.

Yang readied her gauntlets, crouching down in preparation to rush forwards.

 _Wait a minute..._ There was one thing that Jaune _could_ do... but it was a longshot.

Figuratively, not literally.

His grip around Horizon loosened.

"Begin!"

At Qrow's announcement, Yang dashed forwards, her legs propelling her a great distance in mere seconds. Jaune doubted he'd have even been able to draw Horizon in time – nor Crocea Mors – with how quickly the gauntlet-wielder approached.

...Had she gotten faster?

Jaune, however, didn't back away. In fact, he stepped forward, lowering his shield and moving to meet her himself – although he only managed two steps before the two blondes closed together.

They collided, but Yang hadn't been able to wind up for a good punch, perhaps not expecting Jaune to meet her midway. Jaune still felt her fist impact his shield, despite lacking the same power as usual.

Yang, at close range but with no momentum, went for a low kick. Jaune took it in the shin, unwilling to move his shield, lest Yang claim that advantage. Yang's kicks, while nothing to be underestimated, were _nothing_ like her punches.

Jaune, using the strength of both arms, struck Yang as hard as he could with his shield. Though the blow staggered her lightly, she wasn't terribly off balance as her earlier kick was well controlled.

It was enough to allow Jaune to draw his sword, and go in for a diagonal slash. Yang deflected it easily enough, but Jaune hadn't been relying on the haphazard strike to do anything but distract. The boy took another step forward, ramming his blonde friend again with his shield, knocking her back briefly.

It wasn't much of a strategy, but keeping a thick piece of metal between himself and his opponent certainly seemed like it was a good idea.

The only question was how long he could keep it up. After all, Yang's semblance made it so any decent hits he could get in would only make her stronger. Jaune couldn't whittle her down, but nor could he take her down outright. What could he do?

Jaune backed away as quickly as he could, but Yang didn't pursue. It was likely she was plotting how to get past his defenses. He didn't have much time.

Then, inspiration struck.

Jaune couldn't take the time to sheath his sword – Yang would see, and she'd respond hastily. The two students began to circle each other; Yang likely looking for a weakness, while Jaune was looking for an opportunity.

After a few seconds, Jaune realized he was going to have to _make_ his own opportunity.

Unfortunately, the blonde boy knew what that entailed.

Jaune took a knee, covering as much as he could behind his shield. While Yang may have assumed that he was simply taking a defensive stance, in reality, he was clumsily fiddling with the latch on his thigh pouch, having troubles opening it with Crocea Mors in hand and his eyes on Yang.

He was able to get the flap of the pouch open, but that was all Jaune managed to do as Yang decided she was tired of waiting. She ran forward, delivering a heavy blow. He took the brunt of her attack on his shield while jumping, allowing the hit to knock him back.

Fortunately, none of his Dust rounds flew out of the open pouch.

Now, with more distance between the two blondes than before, Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors. Yang saw this, and ran forwards, hoping to engage while he was still technically weaponless.

Jaune pulled a Dust round from his pouch, _praying_ he'd grabbed the right one.

And then he forced his aura into it – as much as he could – activating the Dust within.

The crystals and sand shattered and burned in his hand, but in less than a second, the area around him was filled with a thick mist.

If he'd accidentally grabbed one of his more dangerous rounds, the match would already be over.

Jaune had no time to waste thinking about just how lucky he was. As he moved out of Yang's original path, the male blonde pulled Horizon from his back, reaching into his pouch for another round. Knowing _exactly_ which shot he grabbed this time, Jaune loaded it.

The rest of the fight would be left entirely to action, reaction, and sheer dumb luck – and Jaune hated that. He really should have strategized before-hand; he'd known exactly who he was fighting, what he was fighting with – how could he have been so stupid?

Jaune's most immediate concern, however, was whether or not Yang was in the mist cloud with him. If she was, he needed to get out. If she wasn't, the brawler choosing to remain on the outside, the best decision was to stay within the mist.

Whether he liked it or not, Jaune needed to be out of the mist. The boy could hardly see a foot in front of his face. He ran out from the center, shield raised as he left his self created shroud.

A quick glance around proved Yang wasn't on the outside.

Jaune didn't waste any time, using his aura to pull his shield back into its smaller form. He flicked his wrist, extending Horizon's barrel. He turned, took a knee and aimed at the cloud, watching for any signs of movement.

He'd originally thought the mist would give him a little more time. But mere seconds after he was out in the open, it began to disappear. As it faded, he managed to see Yang through the remaining wisps.

Jaune began firing with his normal rounds – sure not to hit Yang anywhere vital, in case he overestimated her. Sure, she could take a hit, but he still wasn't entirely sure how much she could take.

In pale contrast to his first fight with her, each of the five rounds he shot made contact; however, Yang managed to catch the last two with the backs of her gauntlets, now painfully aware of exactly where Jaune was.

As the gauntlet-wielder ran towards him, Jaune realized exactly how important the next shot was.

If he hit her, he might win. If he missed...

Jaune pulled the trigger. And then he knew, as he watched the bullet skirt right past her hip:

He'd lost.

Jaune rose, dropping Horizon as he pulled Crocea Mors from its sheath. In a last ditch effort, he pushed his aura into the sword as he dragged it free.

"... _in his strong hand the..._ "

The voice – whatever it had been – stopped the moment Yang's fist came in clear contact with Jaune's face. Jaune took the blow as well as he could, though the force was enough to nearly flip him.

Jaune's back hit the tile, even as Yang slammed another hard fist into his face, causing his head to smack back against the arena floor.

Despite the ringing in his ears, Jaune could still hear the roar of the crowd, and the speakers as Qrow spoke into the microphone once again.

"The winner is Yang Xiao Long."

 _Damn it_. He needed to do better.

He needed to _improve_.

Jaune took the hand Yang offered, groaning as she helped him stand. What Jaune didn't expect, was for Yang to pull him into a bone crushing hug, laughing all the while.

The cheers only seemed to grow louder. Jaune looked past Yang's shoulder at where his missed shot impacted the invisible barrier protecting the crowd from stray shots. A curved piece of glowing ice, meters across, formed against the transparent surface. As the barrier deactivated, the bright formation fell to the floor, shattering.

Jaune turned his attention to the displays that had kept track of their aura levels.

What he saw shocked him. Unlike back at Signal, their meters had a numerical percentage to them. Jaune was sitting at what was apparently thirteen percent – just in the red – while Yang was at a comfortable forty.

Again, like their first spar, it was an overwhelming defeat; but Jaune had still done better than before. That alone, was a relief.

"An excellent performance and demonstration of skill on the part of Yang Xiao Long and Jaune Arc. Thank you, both of you." Qrow said more for the crowds convenience. Jaune's instructor cut his mic again, moving over to talk to the two soon-to-be graduates.

"Jaune, do you need medical attention? Your nose is bleeding."

Was it? Jaune wiped his hand across his face, smearing the blood just a tinge. "Yeah, should probably get checked out."

Qrow nodded, while Yang nudged Jaune and said "Sorry."

"Nah, it's alright. Good fight Yang." Jaune bent down, picking up Horizon from where it lay.

Jaune realized – looking at his rifle in his hands – that he was going to have to do _something_ about switching weapons. Either he was going to have to work on his draw speed, or find some other, more convenient way of disengaging with a melee fighter; aside from having them do it for him.

Could he have won, if he hadn't needed to take the time to switch? It certainly would have given him more options.

Maybe he needed to make some revisions...

Qrow interrupted his musings. "Head on backstage; there should be someone there to check you out. Don't worry about missing the rest of the ceremony, by the way. It's just a bunch of boring speeches."

Jaune hesitated, before nodding. "Okay."

* * *

"So what was that mist thing you pulled there, Jaune? Don't tell me you discovered your semblance already and didn't tell your dear old dad..."

The four members of the Arc family walked down the mostly empty street, making their way back home from Meridian Stadium. Jaune, after getting checked out by a doctor and given the all clear, had watched the rest of the ceremony from backstage.

Qrow was right – it was rather boring.

For about an hour after the end of the ceremony, the now Signal graduates as well as their parents all talked amongst each other. Jaune mostly stuck with his parents.

It was odd – his parents recognized more people than he did. Apparently, they even knew Yang's dad. While Jaune and Yang chatted – Jaune introducing Lily to ' _My best friend who kicked my ass_.' – The three parents talked, though Jaune knew not what about.

The adults had seemed tense though. Maybe because Jaune and Yang had just fought.

"Dear, a _semblance_ , only a month after having his aura activated? Don't be foolish."

Jaune shook a head at his parents' antics. "Dad, don't you think I'd have told you if I knew my semblance?"

"Well, you certainly didn't tell us that you were fighting in the graduation match. There's that." There was no real bitterness in his father's voice, but Jaune could afford to act at least a little apologetic.

"Yeah, my bad." Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "But to answer your question, that was one of my Dust rounds."

" _Dust rounds_?" His father asked, as if the concept was foreign to him.

Jaune grabbed one, holding it out for his dad to take. The lightly-mustached man held it up to a streetlight as they passed under it, inspecting Jaune's creation.

"You made _this_ yourself...? Ale, hun, can I speak with Jaune alone for a moment?"

 _What_? Jaune's mother nodded, and – grabbing Lily's hand softly – continued walking.

"You know, Jaune..." The boy's father turned to him, "When I inherited Crocea Mors, I believed that the blade could take me anywhere I wanted to go. And for a short time, it did. It was my father's sword, the very same he wielded when he was but a budding huntsman. But... it's a _relic_."

Aurum Arc looked at the Dust round he cradled in his fingers. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is... that handing that blade down to you was a mistake."

"Come again?"

"That blade, it has a past. But this?" His father gestured to the round he held in his hand. "This is the future. I'm not going to ask you to give Crocea Mors up - that's not what I intend. But in the end, it is _just_ a sword."

With that said, Jaune's father turned, and continued walking. The moment the man moved, so did Jaune.

Jaune had already made his decision.

* * *

 **Man, it's hard writing yet another Jaune vs Yang fight scene.** **It felt like I was just taking the same fight from chapter 6 and rehashing it.**

 **This is another great chapter where you guys are going to have more questions than answers. Hate me later.**

 **See you guys next time!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	17. Schematics, Schemata

**Hey, it's me again! There was a bit of a delay on this one, brought on by both having to finish a chapter of Just A Few Pointers as well as Fire Emblem Fates coming out on Friday. Game's incredible.**

 **Or maybe having no classes all week just makes it feel like a delay? I'm not too sure.**

 **The RWBY3 finale actually helped me out a lot with this one, considering it's locale. Mostly just little things, but you'll see.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ruby yawned, stretching as her bare feet pattered against the hard floor of her family's cabin. The sun had woken her, streams of sunlight having cut through her window, impacting directly where her head had once been. For the fifteen year old, she'd slept in much longer than she'd have been able to usually.

Considering that she didn't have school for nearly two months, Ruby figured she could let this one go.

The girl, dressed only in her PJs, managed to wander her way into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and poured herself some milk.

Taking a sip, Ruby idly listened to the rhythmic sounds of wood striking wood coming from out back. Odds were that Yang and her dad were both out there training, having woken up much earlier than she did.

Sliding her feet into a pair of slippers, Ruby made her way out the back door. The slightly chilly air made her shiver briefly, but it was tolerable – the last signs of winter had faded, spring finally coming in. Ruby saw her dad and Yang sitting on the edge of the porch, and took a seat between them, cradling her glass of milk in her hands.

"Morning dad, Yang."

"Morning Rubes." Yang didn't turn to regard her, instead staring dead ahead.

"Good morning, Ruby." Her dad was the same, watching something with great interest.

Then, Ruby realized, that despite Yang and her dad sitting next to her on the porch, the sounds of combat did not cease. She turned her silver eyes forwards, wondering who, exactly, could be sparring in their backyard.

To be fair, there weren't very many possibilities. So Ruby wasn't necessarily surprised when she saw her uncle Qrow, fighting with one of her friends from Signal: Jaune.

Well, now he was just her friend, she supposed. He wasn't going to Signal anymore.

Jaune was… _interesting._

Interesting was the best word she could use to describe the boy who'd been her friend for just over a month. They hadn't seen each other much, what with Jaune going out on missions – which neither him nor Yang talked about _at all_ \- but Ruby enjoyed the time she spent with the older boy. It didn't hurt that he had a healthy interest in all things weapons, so they had something in common as well. He knew so much about Dust, too – and he'd been willing to share with her.

That, and he thought Crescent Rose was cool. Anyone who thought Crescent Rose was cool was, by extension, a good person.

There were only two questions that really came to Ruby's mind while watching Jaune fight in her backyard: Why was Jaune there, and why were they fighting with _staves_?

It wasn't even like the two were fighting just with the staves either. Jaune had his shield on his left arm, opting to use the unwieldy long stick one-handed.

"He's got decent form..." Taiyang, Ruby's dad started from next to her, rubbing at his stubble. "You can tell he's used to his sword, though."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Yang's head bob. "Yeah. Jaune's not half bad with one; it's just that he's very limited with it's reach."

Ruby narrowed her eyes in confusion, before smiling at the opportunity to tease her older sister a little. "Yang, you _punch_ things. If anyone's got range issues, it's you."

The three were silent for a moment, before Ruby's dad stated, "Ruby's not wrong." Yang grumbled at that. "But I see where you're coming from. Between watching the Grad match and seeing him go up against Qrow, he's not a very... _mobile_ fighter. Reminds me of his father..."

Ruby tuned out her dad and Yang as they continued to talk. Instead, the girl watched her uncle and Jaune go at each other, their feet kicking up dirt as they moved. The staves they were using were the same ones she and Qrow had used when said uncle was training her in the way of the scythe.

They were actually pretty heavy; at least, in Ruby's opinion. It must take quite a bit of effort for Jaune to use the heavy staff with only one arm.

While Qrow would spin and twirl his staff, bombarding Jaune with both ends - though Ruby could tell which one was 'bladed' – the blonde boy looked to be holding his staff rigidly along his forearm. Jaune blocked and parried with only one end of it, the otherwise unused portion of the staff extending past his elbow.

The way he stood reminded Ruby of the pictures in some of her old story books. Knights, with a lance couched under their arms, riding into battle atop magnificent horses.

The illusion was quickly broken, when with a quick smack, Jaune's staff left his grip.

Ruby noticed that it only took the blonde a second to draw his sword from his shield, the blade held at the ready.

Uncle Qrow, however, didn't press the attack. Jaune resheathed his sword, picking up the staff he'd momentarily dropped.

Ruby didn't understand. "What are they doing? Why did they reset?"

"Jaune's working on his draw speed." Yang explained.

Ruby could see that. "Okay...why are they fighting with staves?"

"Dunno." Was Yang's simple reply. "Oh, Jaune said he wanted to speak to you about something."

That got Ruby's attention. "What about?"

"Dunno." Yang said with a smile.

Now it was Ruby's turn to grumble, while her father ruffled her hair affectionately.

The three of them continued to sit on the porch, watching as Qrow disarmed Jaune again and again, the boy drawing his sword almost instantly every time the staff left his grip.

The sun was high in the sky when Qrow knocked the staff out of Jaune's hands one final time. Before the training weapon even had a chance to hit the ground, the blonde boy had his sword in his hand.

Unlike the many times before, Qrow continued his attack, swinging wildly overhead.

Jaune was able to parry the blow with his sword perfectly, even though he'd only drawn it less than a second before.

"Well done, Jaune." Ruby could hear her uncle say, as the older man backed off.

Jaune, taking heavy breaths, only nodded in response. _He must be tired_.

Qrow jerked his head in the direction of the house, and began walking towards them. Jaune sheathed his blade, retracting the shield into its sheath form, before turning and following.

Ruby wasn't sure, but she thought Jaune smiled a little upon seeing her.

Maybe she was just imagining things.

Her uncle was the first of the two to greet her however. "Hey kid. Sleep well?"

The girl nodded. "Yep." She then turned to their blonde guest. "Hey Jaune."

"Hey Ruby. You enjoying your break?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's only been a week, but it's nice to have some time off. I don't have to listen to my dad's boring lectures anymore, so that's a plus."

"Ruby, I'm sitting right here..."

Ruby ignored her father's comment while both Yang and her uncle chuckled at Taiyang's misfortune, instead continuing to talk with Jaune, "Hey, so Yang was saying you have something you want to talk to me about? What's up?"

With all four of Ruby's family members now staring at Jaune, the boy rubbed the back of his head, a smile on his face. "Well, it's less something I want to talk to you about, and more something I want to show you."

Before Ruby could ask the boy what he meant, her father interrupted, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Whatever it is, it can wait. Let's head inside, before anyone catches a cold."

Muttered agreements came from everyone including Ruby, who had only been outside for a short time and was already feeling a bit of a chill coming on. The five relocated, making their way indoors. Yang and Uncle Qrow instantly moved over to one of the couches – perhaps a previous agreement had been made to play some games together. Her dad made his way into the kitchen, promising to grab snacks for everyone.

That meant Ruby and Jaune were left standing in the back landing.

"So, Uh… you have something to show me then?" Ruby asked, the two of them just… standing there.

 _Yep_.

Jaune lifted a bag that had been just inside the door. "Yeah. Do you have a table we can use?"

A table? "Would the dinner table be okay?" Ruby asked, pointing over at said table.

Jaune shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

The two then proceeded to stand there for a moment longer, before Ruby gestured for Jaune to go ahead.

Ruby, on the way over, realized she was still dressed in her PJs. She hadn't expected a guest today, nevermind Jaune.

She supposed it didn't really matter anyways, although she felt her cheeks warm up momentarily.

Now, her and Jaune were both sitting. The bag Jaune had with him was lifted up onto the table, and the boy began to work the zipper.

Ruby held her breath in anticipation as Jaune reached into his bag. When it came back out, the boy held…?

Sheets of paper?

Contrary to how one might typically react, Ruby was _excited_ –knowing exactly what they were.

Jaune flitted through the sheets, looking for one in particular. Finding it, he slid the piece of paper over to Ruby, facing her.

She actually had to suppress the growing urge to 'squee'. "You're designing a new weapon?" She asked hurriedly. As she scanned the page with practiced ease – she'd looked over a lot of old schematics when designing Crescent Rose – Ruby realized it wasn't all... _new_.

"Technically, no. I based a lot of it on what I've learned from designing and using Horizon."

Ruby nodded along, already comparing measurements. It wasn't as if she could envision exactly what the weapon looked like, but by having the dimensions as well as seeing the older model, she had a rough approximation.

After another moment of studying the schematic, Ruby looked up to Jaune. "So, what are the rest of the sheets?"

Jaune chucked nervously. "You see, that's just it…" He slid another of the sheets forwards.

Ruby pulled it closer to her, turning it around. She compared it with the first schematic. "It's… _different_. This one still uses the extendable barrel design, but this other one…"

"It forgoes the compressed, pistol design, enabling me to use a five-round magazine for the .50 Cal rounds." Jaune finished for her, having known what design he'd given her.

"So you're asking me my opinion on which one I think is better…?"

"Yes. Which of those two do you think is better?" Jaune asked plainly.

Ruby looked back down at the designs, comparing absolutely ever detail; she even went as far as small things such as screw placement.

After about five minutes, she made her decision. She pointed at one of the designs – the one that kept the extendable barrel. "This one is technically better, but it all depends on how you use it."

Jaune nodded, before he slid her yet another schematic. "How about this one, then?"

Ruby glanced at the sheet. Another modification on the old design, again it was _different_. She looked up at the stack of paper her friend held in his hands, a grin threatening to split her face. "Jaune, how many of these do you have?"

"Forty."

Ruby sputtered, caught off guard by the number, despite seeing the stack. "F-forty?"

" _Forty_." Jaune confirmed.

In that moment, Ruby had never felt so happy about a friend she'd made.

She pulled the next design closer to her, inspecting this one as well. "So this one is only a single .50 Cal barrel, but it has a revolving chamber to let you pick your shot on the fly... And it's got a blade along the length of the barrel?"

"Right."

"It's... so _different_ from your current weapon. Are you planning on replacing Horizon?" Ruby had to ask, looking up to see Jaune's reaction.

Jaune almost - _almost_ \- looked offended. "No! It's just..." He sighed, "I messed up big the first time around."

Ruby narrowed her eyes inquisitively at that. "What do you mean?"

"When I designed Horizon, I based it on an old Atlesian rifle. You know this, right?"

The younger girl nodded, waiting for Jaune to continue.

"When I first saw the weapon, what I thought was ' _This looks like something I can work with_ '. I figured it was the right kind of weapon to work on – to pick up – simply because it covered my weaknesses."

"That makes sense." Ruby commented. "You already had a sword and shield, right? So, a ranged weapon was a perfect fit."

Jaune nodded, "That's exactly what I thought as well. But it turns that simply wasn't the case. I... When I was drawing out my schematic, there was one issue – one reason Horizon was never going to be the best it could be."

"And what's that?" Ruby quizzed.

"I only ever thought of it as a secondary weapon; something to use alongside Crocea Mors here." Jaune patted the sword at his side. "I had a chat with my dad after I lost to Yang at graduation. I realized that my way of thinking was wrong, and I should have considered my blade as a secondary weapon for my new one. I mean, look at you and Yang, and Qrow, and anyone else. You all use multi-function weapons with a lot of versatility. All I've really got is a sword, a shield, and a gun that I can't really use together well, you see?"

That... actually made a lot more sense, now that Ruby thought about it.

"So, you're going to make another weapon, one that sorta bridges that gap?"

"That's right."

 _This is so exciting!_ "Hand me another schematic." She practically ordered.

Jaune did so, sliding another one across the table.

At one glance, Ruby considered everything she saw, then shook her head. "This one won't work – you'd have the same problems as you do now..."

* * *

"So, it's between these two now?"

Jaune glanced to the source of the voice. Yang was looking back and forth between the two remaining sheets. He and Ruby had been sitting across from each other, so now Yang sat on his left, while her father and Qrow sat on his right.

Apparently, Yang had gotten tired of losing, and the two older men – one without an opponent – had nothing else to do.

If anything, having them there – watching the selection process – only made him nervous.

"Yeah." Jaune confirmed. "Ruby really helped me narrow it down. Somehow, I knew it would come down to choosing one of these two though."

"Well," Ruby, rubbing at her eyes, spoke, "For what you want, either of these would be perfect – they're not even that different, considering they're so far away from Horizon. So really, it's just your preference at this point."

Jaune nodded. No matter, it was still a tough choice.

Through Ruby's careful analysis, the two had finally decided on a couple of 'finalists'. It might have just been coincidence, but... One was a rifle-poleaxe hybrid, with the other a rifle-spear hybrid.

Jaune's father used an axe, and his mother a spear. It wasn't lost on him.

Though, to make himself feel better, he considered the axe-design more of a poleaxe, and the spear more of a lance.

When Ruby said they weren't all that different, she wasn't lying; both had very similar lengths, estimated weights, and maybe most importantly, both were capable of being effective at a multitude of ranges.

If Horizon was designed to be useful at an extremely long range while still being decently effective in mid-to-close range, and Crocea Mors unable to engage targets too far from him, these new designs were – as Ruby put it – capable of being a bridge between the two.

"So..." Jaune turned to look at the speaker, Qrow, who'd been silent mostly this whole time. "That's why you wanted to fight with the staves earlier."

Jaune didn't comment – Qrow _knew_ he was right. When Jaune had been wielding the wooden staff, he envisioned fighting with the end result of either of the two designs.

"These are pretty incredible. Must have taken you months to draw all these up..." Yang's father, Taiyang – who'd also been one of Jaune's former teachers – observed. The bulky blonde man was referring to the stack of papers he held in his hands: The 'discarded' designs.

The tall man who'd been Jaune's instructor during his second year at Signal, had, aside from himself and Ruby, been the most talkative of the group; Taiyang been constantly asking Jaune questions about the designs and how he envisioned fighting with them.

The man had even asked if he could take a couple of the discarded designs himself, to use as examples back at Signal, which Jaune agreed to.

As Jaune was about to explain to Yang and Ruby's father why he was wrong about how long Jaune had taken to draw up the designs, Ruby beat him to it. The girl had known already:

"Nope."

" _No_?" Taiyang asked in a mix of disbelief and confusion.

"Chances are Jaune only took a week to do all of these. Right?" Ruby stared back at him, and the boy felt... pride.

Ruby had designed her own weapon, the 'magnificent' Crescent Rose, all by herself. Any praise from her – whether intended or not – made the blonde extremely happy.

"Yeah. I got a lot of experience with drawing to-scale measurements when I first designed Horizon." Jaune explained. "Since all of these are _technically_ modifications, it didn't take long."

Everyone around the table was silent as they processed his words. With the varied expressions on their faces, Jaune wished he knew what they all were thinking.

Yang spoke first. "I think you should go with the spear."

 _That was sudden_. "Why's that?" Jaune hadn't really expected to get her opinion on this. His blonde friend, like Qrow, hadn't been very vocal while they were going through the schematics, only having spoken moments ago.

Yang crossed her arms in front of her, "If you go with the axe, you'll either have to use it two-handed, or you're going to need to choke up on it _all the time_. By holding it so close to the head, it'll end up defeating the purpose of being a weapon with such long reach, so you might as well just use your sword anyways. The spear, you can at least stab with, and should be easier to use more precisely – it doesn't have nearly as broad a head as the axe does."

Again, the table was quiet, as everyone stared at Yang. She looked around, meeting the stares of everyone. "What?"

Jaune stood abruptly, reaching over and placing a hand on Yang's forehead. "Are you okay, Yang? You don't seem to have a fever..."

Yang didn't make a move to remove Jaune's hand, instead asking again: "What?"

"Oh, it just sounded like you said something _rational_ for once, I figured you were siiiick-" Jaune groaned the last word out as his knees buckled underneath him, taking a punch square in the gut.

It didn't hurt or anything – nor did it actually make him collapse; he was just playing it for laughs. And to his relief, Jaune got some from everyone but Yang.

Jaune climbed back into his chair, Yang half-glaring at him as the other three continued to laugh.

Jaune gave her a smile and an over-exaggerated wink. Then, Yang began laughing too. Jaune even threw in a couple chuckles of his own.

Once everyone had calmed back down, Qrow spoke. "I think Jaune should decide for himself, but I agree. The spear would be better."

Jaune nodded in acceptance, pulling the design closer to him. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that the design everyone seemed to agree upon was the one that was – in fact – furthest from the original schematics of Horizon.

The spearhead was split into two identical foot-long blades, each placed on either side of the shaft. The shaft itself was home to a high-caliber rifle, pointed in the same direction as the spearhead, coming up between said blades. Jaune had considered for a brief moment having a shotgun in the rifle's place, but ultimately decided against it. It would mean carrying another type of ammo, and that would be inefficient.

The only actual similarity between Horizon and the new spear's design was the rifle component. Gone was the extendable barrel – if he was going to be using it in a melee, the extendable barrel would be a weakness. There was no alternative trigger for the smaller barrel, because there _was_ no smaller barrel. The weapon was still collapsible, although it didn't do much. Since the barrel had to remain whole, the whole spear was two and a half meters fully deployed, while the smallest – _shortest_?– it could be one and a half.

Unlike Horizon, this rifle-spear was semi-automatic. Jaune was already planning on using a five round magazine; he'd done the calculations, looking to his aunt's journal for assistance. The small mag was the best way to keep the weapon balanced. However, the boy was unsure whether he was going to use his Dust rounds with it, or if he was just going to leave those to Horizon.

It wasn't the most complicated weapon, but it covered Jaune's weaknesses enough that it would do.

"Wow, it's really pouring out there, isn't it?" Yang commented.

Jaune looked up from the schematics, following everyone's eyes.

 _Oh man._ Was it ever. And he was going to have to walk back to his apartment in that?

"It was so bright and sunny earlier too." Ruby mentioned.

Yang nodded. "Yeah, it just came out of nowhere... Hey, dad?"

"What is it?"

Yang leaned forwards, placing her hands under her chin. "If the rain doesn't let up, can Jaune stay the night?"

Jaune watched as Taiyang scratched at his stubble. "Yeah, sure, I don't see why not. Where's he going to sleep though?"

"He can sleep in my bed." Yang stated simply.

Yeah, that sounded fine.

...

Wait...

What?

"Okay." Was Taiyang's reply.

 _What!?_

* * *

Qrow tipped his glass back, draining the last of the alcoholic beverage he'd poured himself. It was well beyond midnight, and in all honestly, he probably should have been asleep – like everyone else in the house. The veteran huntsman had decided to crash on the couch at Tai's cabin. With Jaune staying, there weren't enough beds to accommodate five. Only four.

The lone man chuckled. Jaune had actually thought that Tai was okay with him sleeping _with_ Yang. In reality, Yang and her father had simply been talking about how Yang was going to give up her current bed for Jaune to sleep on, instead spending the night in her old room – the one she used to share with Ruby.

He'd been watching the expressions on Jaune's face change as his niece and her father discussed the sleeping arrangements. Qrow found it amusing. How Jaune could go from flustered to... _disappointed..._ so quickly was hilarious.

Qrow poured himself another drink, not wanting to " _waste the ice"_ as someone so eloquently put it before.

 _Damn_ _that woman_.

The liquid burned the back of his throat, but Qrow didn't cringe. He looked out at the moon, in it's bright white glory. The skies had cleared earlier, though at that point it was too late for the young Arc to leave.

Qrow looked at the moon, and thought upon how _unusual_ it looked when it's entire intact face was visible.

He'd lived his entire life under the same moon. How strange it was, that he – or anyone else – could look at it and think it _unusual_.

Qrow stared at the empty glass in his hand. Maybe he had a little much?

Sure, he enjoyed drinking, but he was more of a daytime drinker than anything – what's the point in being drunk if there was no one to share it with? But, despite being so late into the night, this was one of the many times he _needed_ it.

He didn't _want_ to do what he was about to, but the ugly truth was that he _had_ to.

The huntsman pulled his scroll from his pocket, thinking on the irony that he had to be drunk to have a conversation about something so important, and _with_ someone so important.

He navigated the menus that years of experience had made so simple. Qrow thumbed the call button, bringing the scroll up to his ear.

It was answered almost instantaneously. "Qrow. What has you calling so late?" The voice sounded disgruntled, and perhaps a little... annoyed?

"Act like you care, Oz. We both know you weren't sleeping."

The line was silent for a moment. "What is it?"

Qrow sighed into the phone. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea_? "You're going to have to tell him."

Again, a short silence before there was a response. "Are you referring to Mr. Arc?"

Qrow nodded, before realizing that Ozpin couldn't see him. _Too much indeed_. "Yes. He needs to know, Oz."

"And _you_ won't tell him?"

"You told me not to. Besides, it would be better if he heard it from you."

Ozpin hummed thoughtfully. "Are you sure we can trust him with something so...?"

"Discrete? Secretive? _Life-changing_?" Qrow supplied, before continuing. "If you tell him the truth, he'll have good reason to keep it quiet. You _should,_ in fact, tell him everything."

"Everything? Now Qrow, be reasonable..."

"I _am_ being reasonable!" Rare were the moments that Qrow would raise his voice – he was surprised that one of those moments was now. Perhaps it was the liquor talking. "He _deserves_ to know. If not for his good, then for the good of Vale – no, for the good of Remnant. He'd do better as a player, not as a piece."

There was a pause, as Qrow regained his composure. Ozpin didn't speak, knowing that Qrow had more to say.

Qrow spoke again, softer this time. "Remember the last time this happened? When I suggested that you tell Taiyang, bring him into the fold? What happened to him, huh? He still doesn't know - because if he did, he'd _break_. I'm not willing to let that happen to one of my students."

This time, it was Ozpin that sighed. Qrow was prepared for the man to list the many reasons as for why Jaune shouldn't be told anything – that he should be kept in the dark, much like the others.

"You trust Jaune Arc that much?"

Qrow had to choose his next words carefully – that Oz hadn't outright refused at this point was... "It's not trust – but he'll do the right thing. You know that already."

"Yes, I heard from Ironwood about what the young man did in Atlas. And I talked with Mr. Arc himself briefly after the tragedy that occurred in Nyurse. There is no doubt he'll be a skilled and resourceful huntsman – given time."

Qrow scoffed – careful to not have done it directly into the receiver. There was only one thing he could say: " _Time_ isn't on our side, Oz."

A weighty sigh came through the scrolls earpiece. After a moment's silence, Ozpin spoke once more.

"I'll make arrangements to meet with Mr. Arc once more. Based on that meeting, I'll decide what to tell him; whether it's nothing – or _everything_."

The liquor-pickled man brought his free hand to his forehead, rubbing it briefly. "Okay."

He'd take the tie.

"If that's all?"

"Yeah, sure. Let me know how that turns out." Qrow mumbled, suddenly feeling very drained.

"I'll be sure to do that. Oh, and Qrow... I'll have you know I actually _was_ sleeping." Ozpin stated, before hanging up.

Qrow rested his head on the table in front of him – the same that he and everyone else had sat around earlier, narry a thought on their minds as they laughed. Even Tai seemed like he'd been having fun, asking Jaune about his designs.

He slid his scroll closed with a click, pulling a picture from out of his pocket. He stared at the four faces looking back at him – so full of youth, so...

Qrow's eyes met his own. So... _ignorant_.

He had to wonder... had not knowing been better? Did he just curse Jaune to a life of unhappiness?

The man shook the thought. It was twelve o'clock, and his current bottle was empty. It was time to go find Taiyang's liquor stash. Surely he wouldn't miss a couple bottles...

Certainly, his former teammate wouldn't care if Qrow explained that they'd been emptied in remembrance of a happier time.

* * *

 **Well, that might have been a tad depressing. My bad.**

 **Experimented with the PoVs this chapter; I happen to like it. As per usual, let me know what you guys think in a PM or a review. I love getting your feedback. Let me know if you find any inconsistencies as well.**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	18. Shopping Spree

**Ho, boy, it's been a while, hasn't it? (Well, for _me_ , considering how quick my updates usually are.)**

 **I've got nothing really to say before this one. Have at 'er.**

* * *

"So, that's the plan then?" The burly man asked, putting the stack of books down on the counter beside him. He patted his hands together, as if to rid them of any dust that might have clung to them.

"Yes." The girl spoke, leaning against the same counter, but from the opposite side. "I've made my decision. It's... it's gone on far too long. I recommend you get out while you can too, Tukson."

Blake had had enough. Ever since he had taken command of the White Fang around Vale, Adam – her partner, her mentor... her _friend –_ had been growing more and more ruthless. She should have seen it coming.

No... she saw it coming. She just refused to acknowledge it. Since Adam took over, he'd slowly been turning the White Fang from their original path and into something more... sinister. But it wasn't just him... It was the other chapters too.

First, it had been little things. An 'unavoidable casualty' here and there – in their line of work it was inevitable. But as time passed, not only did he and Blake personally take on more violent missions, but the White Fang as a whole were taking more risks. They'd planned and executed raids on faunus labor camps, SDC mining operations... anything to make their presence known.

Most recently, however, they'd been focusing on... human targets. As in actual, breathing, _bleeding,_ people. Kidnappings, assassinations... _executions_. It was bizarre. Blake was lucky she hadn't been forced to participate in those Ops.

Adam even sent a team up to Atlas, a month or so back. A tip, from a human sympathizer, had come in, saying that the boss Schnee and his daughter were at an isolated location, far away from any real military support – just a token force of Atlesian soldiers populating the lab they were at. The White Fang chapter up north had been having issues, so they passed the intel on to the next best choice.

That turned out to be a suicide mission. Any operatives sent there were either dead or captured. Forty members of the Fang went out on that mission. None returned. Adam had more than enough reason to be angry, but he blamed it all on the informant – on the _human_ who'd tipped them off as to the Schnee's location.

Thing is, the intel _had_ been good, based on the last transmission they got before everything went to hell. But, no matter what Blake said, Adam continued to blame it all on the one human involved.

The White Fang was created to coexist with humanity. Not to fight against it. Blake had to remind herself of that every day. It was... _tiring_.

That's why Blake wanted out. She wanted to believe there was still some good in the Fang – still some good in _Adam..._ But she just couldn't find it. Blake feared, deep in her heart, that there was no good left to find.

She didn't want to discover that herself. So she was leaving. Next good chance she got, she was gone. The only person she felt comfortable telling this to was Tukson.

Tukson was one of the few Fang that Blake knew still understood what the White Fang were supposed to be: a peaceful faction, vying for equality. He'd been her contact in downtown Vale for the longest time, his bookstore acting as a safehouse at the worst of times, and a place to relax in the best.

Tukson had some qualms with Blake's intentions - perhaps unconvinced that what she was doing was 'right' – but he couldn't sway her. Not now.

"But you're sure that going to Beacon is the best option?" Tukson interrupted Blake's musings.

"Yes. I have the skill set, and if Adam wants to come after me? He can't. He'd have to practically wage war on all the huntsmen and huntresses in Vale to get to me."

Tukson nodded, but the expression on his face showed he wasn't necessarily convinced. "I can understand staying behind the experienced huntsmen and huntresses at Beacon, but you wouldn't exactly be 'hiding', you know? Especially if you wind up on a team that's planning on entering the Vytal Festival Tournament."

"I know that. Besides, if I participate in the tournament – though it's something I don't necessarily want to do – then I'll just be showing Adam that faunus can live peacefully alongside humans."

"… _right_."

Blake knew her idea was a little odd - perhaps even a little flawed. She was technically a terrorist, though she was relatively unknown. Going and training with people who were supposed to be protectors of the people? Not exactly a good idea.

But there was nothing else to do – nowhere else to go.

The cat faunus' ears twitched beneath her bow. She heard footsteps approaching the store.

"Customers." She stated plainly, ducking to the side. She moved over to the least frequented – as well as her favorite - section of the store: _Erotica_.

Blake really enjoyed a good story; compelling characters, plot twists, heartbreak, drama. She'd tried tons of genres, but simple romance didn't make the cut, fantasy was too far-fetched, and mysteries just couldn't keep her interested.

She still enjoyed those books she read immensely, but nothing took Blake's breath away like a good piece of... erotic literature. In particular, the _Ninjas of Love_ series. It had romance, it had mystery, and just the right amount of fantasy. It certainly helped that the more risqué scenes were… phenomenal.

Blake's hand instinctually reached out and grabbed one of the series' many volumes. As her and Tukson had agreed upon, she'd play the part of a customer while there were others at the shop.

It wasn't too hard; all she had to do was stick her nose in a book, and only speak when spoken to – and rarely even then.

It had only taken one second for her to 'blend in'. The door chime rang, announcing the entrance of the one – or ones – she'd heard outside.

"So, why are we here again?" A young-sounding girl asked.

More than one person then.

Blake wanted to look over, but it was better if she didn't do so. If she waited, she'd get her chance to inspect the new arrivals. Making eye contact the moment someone entered was a sure way to be noticed.

"Well, seeing as you two saw fit to drag me along on your shopping trip today, I figured we could stop by here, seeing as it was in the area." The voice was male this time, and – eerily enough – it sounded familiar. Blake still refused to look up, instead opting to read a few sentences.

There was a little thing the girl liked to do – like a game of sorts – whenever she needed to 'blend in'. She's grabbed the book at random, not knowing which one she'd picked up. Blake wouldn't dare check the cover – that would blow _her_ cover. Instead, she'd try to guess which book she'd grabbed simply by reading. Considering she'd read all the _Ninjas of Love_ volumes before, it was equal parts challenge and entertainment.

It took her barely a second to identify which book she grabbed, recognizing the names of the characters.

"So, ' _Ninjas of Love: Recipe for Desire'_ , huh?"

Blake shut her book reflexively. Who…?

The bow-wearing girl inspected the man who's talked. The first thing she noticed – thanks to her training from Adam – were the weapon's he had on him. He had a sword sheathed at his hip, with the handle of another weapon poking straight up over his right shoulder. Judging from his armor, he seemed like a front line fighter; the type who'd take a hit for another, before striking in return. Chest plate, shin guards, arm guards, and pauldrons, all white in color - the armor covered all the places one would likely end up hit in a melee.

"You know, you recommended that book to me the last time I was in here."

Blake's eyes snapped up to meet those of the man in front of her – she'd made a mistake by taking too long to analyze his equipment. Unlike the eyes of a hardened huntsman she'd expected, she met the bright blue eyes of a boy she knew she'd met before.

Only, back then he hadn't been armed and armored as if he was going out to war.

The man – _boy_ – smiled. "I never got your name back then. I'm Jaune."

"Uhh… Blake." _This guy_. She remembered absolutely everything about her conversation with him. About how _open_ he'd been regarding his... _experiences_. She had to fight down the blush that rose to her cheeks.

With her memories of the boy returning, so did Blake's memories of exactly what she'd said to him. Had she actually been so… _brash_?

"So. This is kinda awkward, but when you recommended that book to me I… uh, sorta thought it was a cookbook. You know… because of the title. So when we were talking about the book's..." 'Jaune' brought a hand to his chin in thought. " _Subject matter_ … I thought we were talking about cooking."

Blake almost breathed a sigh of relief – before realizing: he'd been talking about cooking, but she's still been talking about…

 _Oh no_.

"Ah, well, it doesn't matter anyways. I actually really liked the book. Lent it to a friend too."

Well, at least she brought a couple of guys closer together, didn't she?

The blonde boy held up a finger. "Actually, I'll call her over." Jaune looked over his shoulder. "Yang?"

Wait, ' _her'_?

"Yo!" A blonde girl, who'd been sharing a rather large book with a younger, significantly shorter girl, hopped over to stand beside Jaune. Instantly upon seeing Blake, her smile seemed to… grow? "Who's this?"

"This is Blake. She's the one who – accidentally – introduced me to that Ninjas of Love book you still haven't returned to me."

"Still reading it." Yang rebutted. "Hi Blake, I'm Yang. That's my sister over there, Ruby. But… I'd rather her not discover _Ninjas of Love_ right now. Maybe in… thirty years?" The girl chuckled briefly, before continuing. "I mean, the characters are interesting, and the twist midway through almost stopped my heart, but the 'action' scenes are probably a little much for my sister."

Blake couldn't help but crack a light smile at that. Someone who actually read Ninjas of Love for the plot? She gave Yang a respectful nod in greeting.

"So, Blake, would you have any other recommendations besides _Ninjas of Love_?" Jaune asked suddenly.

Blake looked down at the novel she held in her hands. A story like in Ninjas of Love? Is that what he meant?

Wait...

"You two do know that Ninjas of Love is a series, right?" Blake quizzed.

By the look of confusion on the faces of the two blondes; they did not.

Slowly, their expressions changed, smiles growing rapidly. "Wait, a series? Like, there's more of them?" The girl asked.

"Yeah," Blake confirmed, "Each story is separate, too. The one I... _recommended_ to your friend here is actually the most recent release."

"Really?" Jaune asked in awe. He turned his attention to the shelf as if it held the greatest books ever written – which it _did_ – and began scanning the spines with his eyes. His friend Yang was right behind him, pointing out all the different volumes.

Although it was unintentional, Blake now had the two distracted. As they chatted with their backs to her, the cat faunus took the time to more closely examine their gear.

Jaune had not two, but _three_ weapons: a sword, an odd looking spear, and a handgun. It was quite the assortment, but in such tight quarters Blake was sure the sword would be the first thing out. The girl, Yang, didn't seem to have any weapons on her, but she had a certain _air_ about her. Glancing to the third member of the group, Blake happened to catch a glimpse of a rifle stowed beneath the girls red cloak.

If these three were here for trouble, it'd be hard for her and Tukson to take them all on. No matter who they were – or who they appeared to be – Blake still had to be cautious. If Tukson's shop had been compromised, the three customers could easily be an advance force, scouting.

"...' _Ninjas of Love: Island Adventure?'_ Sounds interesting."

"Oh, but what about this one? ' _Ninjas of Love: Heated Excitement_ '..."

...or they could just be two teens looking for some quality reading material, with a younger sister dragged along?

The later was more likely, but Blake's instinct wouldn't allow her to dismiss the former so easily.

With the two blondes busy inspecting books, Blake snuck back over to the front counter, where Tukson stood. Although she was intending upon leaving the White Fang, until she left they were still _her people_. There were hundreds of folders in the back, containing information on other safehouses, contacts, informants... _everything_ , really.

It would be troublesome if that got in the hands of the authorities. ...Especially because _Blake herself_ was still in those records.

 _Since when did we start keeping paperwork, anyways_?

"Do you have any copies of this in hardcover?" Blake made sure she was loud enough that the others could hear her – if they were even listening. After that, she whispered. "Assume all three are armed."

Tukson didn't do anything that would tip the others off as to what was going on if they were watching, not even acknowledging the second part, only nodding. "Yeah sure, just let me check the back." Blake heard shuffling footsteps behind her, but the lack of reaction on Tukson's part kept her from lashing out. "And I'll be with you guys shortly."

As per their agreement, Tukson would go to the back, prepared to cut the lights if they tried something. No matter what, they were still potential threats.

Blake turned, and was amused by what she saw. Jaune had a stack of books, roughly two feet high balanced in his hands. By their spines, all of them were Ninjas of Love, except for the one at the bottom. That one was the one the cloaked girl had been holding earlier.

Blake tilted her head to read it. ' _Weapons of Remnant_ '. Huh.

"So, Blake," Yang – who had her hands completely free – spoke first, "My little sister here couldn't help but notice your weapon. You in training to be a Huntress?"

Well, technically she was. "Yeah, I've applied for Beacon. Just have to go through the entrance exams."

Yang winced, "Gee, that's rough. Hope you get through. Me and Jaune here are already guaranteed spots thanks to our grades."

Ah, they'd come from a combat school then. But still...guaranteed spots? They must be rather skilled. "Your grades were that good?"

Jaune spoke from behind his stack of books. "Yang finished top of the class at Signal. I came second."

Blake couldn't help but be impressed. First and second at Signal Academy of all places? That was... _something else_.

She relaxed as best she could. If they were speaking the truth, then they weren't there to raid the place.

But they could also just be trying to get her to lower her guard...

Tukson walked back out. "Nope, no copies in hardcover, sorry. I can try to order one in if you like?"

Translation: _Should I call for backup?_

"No, that's fine thanks." Blake moved to the side, allowing Jaune to put the books down on the counter – something probably she should have done earlier.

Blake kept an eye on the girl wearing the red cloak – Ruby was her name. She hadn't been involved in any of their conversations thus far, and Blake was curious as to why she was shuffling so much.

But – despite Blake being so tense – nothing occurred while Tukson rang up the group's total. Upon hearing the price, the three customers began discussing payment amongst themselves.

Although Blake was standing far to the side, she could hear their discussion clearly. Ruby was only paying for her own book, while Yang and Jaune were going to go half-and-half on the Ninjas of Love books.

"Well, Blake, it was nice to see you again."

"Hmm?" Blake snapped back to reality at Jaune's words. "Ah, yes. The next time we meet, I hope it'll be at Beacon."

Jaune gave her a polite nod. "Yeah."

The blonde boy walked away, two large bags in his hands. Yang followed with a quick "See ya!"

The last one, Ruby, smiled at Blake, before she left as well.

As she was left to stand at the counter across from Tukson, there was one thought that crossed her mind:

 _Such strange people._

* * *

"Well, she was... _nice_?" Yang commented while shrugging, much to Jaune's embarrassment. "So, you going to explain to me exactly _how_ she introduced you to Ninjas of Love?"

Jaune, Ruby and Yang were all walking along a sidewalk, having recently acquired some new reading material from Tukson's, where Jaune had originally – albeit accidentally – bought his first copy of Ninjas of Love, courtesy of Blake.

Jaune had wanted to stop in there while he accompanied the girls on their shopping trip to see if he could just find something else to read, but meeting Blake for a second time was a pleasant surprise. Even if the girl had been acting a little...

Was odd the right word?

The blonde boy sighed, bringing a hand to his face. "Maybe later... where to next?"

It was good to spend time with the two sisters again, but after spending so long apart, he was beginning to remember exactly how draining it could be to be around them.

Jaune had moved back in with his parents at home roughly a week or so after graduation. After all, there was no real point in staying on Patch if he wasn't going to school at Signal anymore. Though, saying he'd 'moved back in' wasn't exactly true; it was more like he was just staying at home for a couple months, before he started classes at Beacon.

"Well, how about we head towards Nino's?" Yang suggested, while Ruby nodded along excitedly.

" _Nino's_?" Jaune shuddered. "You girls wanna go clothes shopping?"

With seven sisters growing up, clothes shopping had been a nightmare. Jaune thought he was done with those days.

Ruby hopped ahead and started walking backwards. "It isn't just women's clothes they have there Jaune. Maybe you can find something for yourself there?"

Jaune shook his head vehemently. "Nuh-uh. Besides, what's wrong with the clothes I have now?"

Ruby stopped, prompting both Yang and Jaune to stop as well. The red cloaked girl sighed, "Yang, you explain."

Yang cleared her throat, before 'explaining': " _Jaune_... You do _not_ look like a huntsman. I'm sorry."

 _What?_ Jaune didn't even have to try to look affronted – it came naturally. "What do you mean?"

"Under all that armor, all you wear is a hoodie and jeans." Yang squinted as she looked Jaune up and down, as if she was staring into the sun. "You've got no _style_ , Jaune. And before you say it, 'having no style' isn't having a style, okay?"

Jaune tried his best to find a way to escape the terrible fate he felt looming. "Who's going to care what I look like when I'm out fighting? The _Grimm_? Come on, it's not that important."

Ruby practically jumped in front of his face. The girl had been so tame when they were at the bookstore – what had changed? "But it _is_ important Jaune. If you want to be a huntsman, you need to look the part!"

"But I have the weapons." Jaune reasoned "I have the armor. Hell, I'm pretty sure I scared Blake half to death back there, showing up like I was ready to fight a war."

Yang butted back in. "Yeah, but right now, you just look like a fighter. A huntsman has _style_. Remember what Sherry said back in Nyurse? About 'raising moralle' and what not? How are you going to do that when you're just wearing a hoodie and jeans? It's why business people wear suits, why militaries have uniforms; it looks official."

"So you're saying I don't look official?"

Both girls answered. "Yes, that's what we're saying."

They both glared at him, neither likely willing to budge.

 _Sisters_.

"Fine. I'll try to find _something_ while we're there." Jaune gave in – but he swore to himself that was going to be _all_.

"No can do, Jaune." Ruby said.

"What?"

"You decided to come along on this trip, then you're going to be our life-sized dress-up doll." Yang stated firmly.

"Wait, isn't that backwards? Like, if I volunteered to come along, wouldn't that mean I had a choice in what I do?"

"Hmm... _Nope_."

 _Drat._

It turned out, there was nothing Jaune could say or do that would dissuade the two girls from their original decision. Before he knew it, Jaune was actually physically pushed through the door to Nino's – a clothing store known for primarily servicing huntresses, but also the occasional huntsman.

The moment Jaune entered the store, he knew that further resistance would not be tolerated by Yang. _Or Ruby_.

"So, where should I begin?"

Yang grabbed Jaune by the wrist, dragging him along. "Come on, I have an idea."

Although the men's section was tiny compared to the rest of the store – it was a _big_ store – there was still quite the selection.

Yang and Jaune stopped in front of a particular rack, and Yang started sifting through jackets.

"You're a large, right Jaune?"

"Well, this hoodie is an extra-large, so-"

"Large it is then." Yang grabbed a hanger with... _something_ on it, passing it to Jaune. "Fitting room is over there."

Jaune looked down at the jacket he held in his hands. He tapped Yang on the shoulder, trying to hand the clothing back to her. "No longcoats." He stated. That was his dad's thing.

She refused to accept it. "Go try it on at least. I want to know what it looks like. Then I can make better decisions."

Jaune looked at the armor on his shoulders, and sighed. He was going to have to remove it, and then put it back on _overtop_...

He took his scarf off, and handed it to Ruby.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Jaune walked out of the fitting room confidently. He'd checked himself out in the mirror previously, and was actually quite satisfied himself with how he looked.

"Nope." Yang said. "It just won't do."

Jaune tilted his head back slowly, staring directly up at the ceiling above. He opened his mouth as if to shout, but he knew that would be rather childish of him.

It had been an hour, and the blonde really wished he could be _anywhere_ else. Defending a secret lab in Atlas felt like child's play to what he was going through right now.

" _But_..." Yang drew out the first word as long as she felt was necessary. "I think I've got it."

Even Ruby – who had a basket full of clothes from shopping while Yang 'assisted' Jaune – looked like she was getting rather bored.

In an odd way, it made Jaune happy to think that Yang cared so much about how he looked, but at the same time, it was _taxing_.

"Switch your current jacket out for this one, and wear it over your armor."

Jaune stepped forward, taking the offered piece of clothing. " _Over_ my armor? All of it?"

Yang thought about that for a second, humming briefly. "Your chest piece, at the least."

Jaune nodded. The fastest way to get this over with, he'd realized, was to simply listen to everything Yang said.

As the boy entered the fitting room for what felt like the hundredth time, he realized something. He stuck his head back out the door, and called out "Hey Yang!"

"What?" The girl looked up at him, waiting patiently.

Jaune held his recently acquired spear out the door, a product of almost three weeks of hard work and forging. He was proud to say he'd made it all himself, Qrow – and Ciara, the forge-master – allowing him to use the facilities at Signal to create it.

"How am I going to keep _Aquila_ on my back if the jacket is covering my chest piece?"

Yang's response was to throw a belt at him. Jaune managed to catch it between two fingers, using his others to maintain a grip on his spear.

"Ah."

Jaune ducked back inside, and began changing. It was an arduous process, removing his arm guards and pauldrons, but after doing it so many times, he'd gotten much faster.

Hey, if he ever needed to get rid of his armor really quickly, he'd at least be able to do it.

He slipped his arms into the sleeves of the new jacket, and found that it actually fit quite comfortably around his chestplate. Jaune twisted his body slightly, testing to see if it would tug or tighten, and was pleased to see that it didn't. Maybe Yang had actually picked this one out a size larger?

As Jaune finished putting his arm-guards back on, he had a thought. He only secured his left pauldron to it's proper spot, leaving the right one off. His left side would be the one facing the enemy the most often, being his shield-side, so he had to leave that one on. Without the right pauldron, his right arm would have more movement.

He nodded, inspecting himself in the mirror once more.

Jaune thought his pants were the strangest thing – they were like a mix of sweatpants and jeans: They were soft and flexible like sweats, but durable and kept their shape like jeans. The blonde couldn't remember what exactly it was they were made out of, but the black pants were already a winner in his books. According to Yang, they were popular amongst huntsmen.

At Jaune's demand to be more cost effective, Yang allowed him to just ditch the hoodie, instead of replacing it with something else. So now all Jaune wore under his chest piece was his black undershirt.

However, Jaune had the light-grey jacket Yang had just given him to try on. He left the front open, but it was held closed by the belt he'd somehow managed to wrap around. It wasn't quite a 'long coat', considering that the front was still up closer to his waist, but the coat's tail end reached just halfway down the back of his thighs. It was even made in such a way that it had slits in the shoulder area for the belts that held his pauldrons on - which he'd used properly.

Clearly, whoever had designed the coat had kept an open mind when it came to armor.

Even though the whole outfit lacked color – which he could rectify easily – the black of his pants, the white of his armor, and the grey jacket all contrasted very well. At least, in his opinion.

Jaune walked back out, and waited for Yang's approval. He really hoped he didn't have to go back in the tiny cubicle and get changed again. One: because he was sick of trying on clothes, and two: because he actually liked the outfit.

"Well?"

Yang looked up. A smile was on her face for but a brief moment, before it faded.

 _No, please, I actually like this outfit._

"You're missing something, Jaune."

Ah, the pauldron? "I figured if I left it off, my right arm could have more mobility-"

"No, actually, the asymmetry is nice." Jaune blinked, not expecting Yang to use a word like asymmetry... or for her to agree with his decision to leave the pauldron off. "I meant this."

Yang stood up, a piece of white cloth in her hands. She stepped forward, and wrapped the scarf around his neck expertly.

"Ah, thanks." Jaune smiled, as Yang backed away slightly, a smile on her face. He met her eyes, and smiled in return.

"Ahem." The light – and admittedly cute – sound of Ruby clearing her throat got the attention of both Yang and Jaune. The blonde boy noticed the light blush on the silver-eyed girl's cheeks. "I know you guys are _kinda_ having a moment, but you both were just sort of standing there for two minutes, staring in each others eyes so..."

Jaune felt his face heat up, while Yang turned and sputtered. "We were _not_ having a moment!"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Ruby half-whispered.

Was Ruby... _teasing_ her sister?

... _Impossible_.

Before the two girls could start scrapping in the middle of the store, Jaune put a hand on Yang's shoulder, prompting her to turn towards him once more.

"Hey, Yang. Thanks." Jaune said, nodding. "Now, I wasn't exactly looking at the price tags, how much is this going to run me?"

Yang chuckled nervously.

 _Oh no_.

* * *

The tight corridors, the low ceilings. The entire complex reminded the white haired girl of 'home'.

And Weiss Schnee hated it.

There was no way she was going to be attending Atlas Academy. Not a chance. The place was literally a _bunker_ ; Everything was made of cement, while the parts that were actually painted were all the same dull greys and whites she'd known all her life. The entire place was just so... military.

"Well Miss Schnee, what do you think?"

Weiss turned, donning a false smile. She did so more out of habit than anything. "It's a rather nice school you have here, General. I'm sure my father would say the same."

One hundred percent sure, actually.

Yet another reason she didn't want to study at Atlas.

General Ironwood, headmaster of Atlas as well as commander of it's military, nodded along, as if that was the answer he was expecting. "It may be a little… _bland_ in comparison with a school like Beacon, but I can assure you that in the four years you'll spend here, you'll grow to call this place your home."

Weiss had to hold in her urge to deny right then and there. Instead, she just smiled and nodded, hoping she'd appease the man who's been giving her a tour of the facilities. She respected the General – not enough that she'd attend Atlas just because he was headmaster, but she respected him all the same.

While this tour was arranged by her father – against her own desires, as well as quite possibly the _general's_ – Weiss would be doing exactly as he'd taught her: taking an unfavorable situation, and turning it to her advantage.

Weiss remembered exactly what had occurred on that day nearly two months ago. She remembered the soldier who'd accompanied her as she navigated the Schnee laboratory her and her father had been visiting when it came under attack by faunus terrorists.

"I have a question, if you don't mind General."

"What is it?" his response was curt, as if he expected a question. He stopped, turning to face her in the middle of an empty hallway.

"During that White Fang raid on the SDC lab, the one you were in charge of the defenses of…"

Just barely, Weiss saw the eyebrow of the General twitch. How _foolish_ of her to have forgotten: Her father's company had held the Atlas military completely responsible for the breach of security at the lab. After the investigation, it was discovered that it was one of the General's own men who was responsible for security issue, not one of the SDC workers.

Whether it was the man's pride that brought him discomfort, or Weiss herself asking as heiress to the SDC, she was unsure.

"I remember, yes."

"An Atlesian soldier by the name of 'Just Saber' assisted me while we took the lab back." Admittedly, the soldier had done most of the heavy lifting. Weiss had technically assisted _him_. "I've been looking into the public records, but I found no mention of him. I was wondering if you might know something?"

"The soldier who assisted you? But that's…" Ironwood's brow furrowed in confusion – probably the only real display of emotion the man had made the entire tour. "I may not know all my soldiers by name, but I'd remember a name like Just Saber."

 _Really_? "So he doesn't exist?"

"He exists." Ironwood' actually had the faint traces of a smile. "He's just not a soldier under my command."

Hold on just a minute. "There was someone at that lab who wasn't affiliated with the SDC or the Atlas military?" This was the first she'd heard of that. "Does my father know?"

Ironwood nodded. "Yeah, but he said it wasn't an issue. He did end up saving your life, after all."

"Who is he?"

"That... is not for me to say."

 _What's that supposed to mean_? "Why not?"

Ironwood stood a little straighter, clasping his hands behind his back. "'Just Saber', as you know him, was not there as a representative of the SDC, the Atlas military, nor was he the third party I legally hired for additional protection. Technically, he was 'hired' by said third party."

That… actually made a lot more sense than Weiss thought.

"So what you're saying is... you're not allowed to disclose any information regarding Just Saber, because he wasn't actually in a contract with you?"

The general nodded. "You'll have to contact the third party who hired him, if you want to know more."

Finally, _something._ "And the third party is…?"

"A huntsman, by the name of Qrow Branwen. Good luck getting a hold of him though, he never answers his scroll when it's an unknown number. Chances are he'll block you, too."

That didn't matter though – Weiss had a lead: Qrow Branwen. The heiress knew it would be too much to ask the general if he could put her in contact with him, so she'd have to take care of that herself. She had a name though, and it'd be simple from here on out.

She was going to find Just, and thank him for what he did. Thank him for saving her life, and the lives of others.

Ironwood cleared his throat. "Now then, shall we continue with the tour?

Weiss almost wanted to sigh, staring down the long, brightly lit hallway in front of her, but she held it in for appearances. "Sure, _let's_."

* * *

 **"My clue's pointing over there now!"**

 **... So, we got a glimpse into the mind of Blake, a wardrobe change, and saw what Weiss is up to. Not entirely what I had in mind for this chapter, but I think it works out. But what _I_ think doesn't matter; it's what _you_ guys think - let me know in a review or PM.**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	19. The Invincible Girl

**We're back! Boy, I hope you're prepared for this one. You'll be a whirlwind of emotions by the time you're through with this one. (I think.)**

 **Let me know what you guys think in a PM or a review! I'm always open to feedback of all kinds...**

 **...There's a joke there, I'm sure.**

* * *

"And the winner is Pyrrha Nikos!"

The announcer's voice resounded throughout the arena, the redheaded Mistrali left crouched in the center of it all hearing nothing but a murmur as the crowd cheered. Her quickened breathing and the blood pounding in her ears were the only things Pyrrha could hear clearly.

She looked up, her previous opponent supporting himself with his elbows, having been flattened by her last attack. Considering it had been the semi-finals of the Mistral Regionals, Pyrrha had been expecting some tough opposition – she'd held nothing back. After her first win in the finals of the tournament three years ago, she'd been seeded higher for the next year's entry, and then finally seeded first for the past two events. Typically, she'd only ever fought the most experienced fighters as she closed in on the finals.

This year, however, it seemed like every opponent Pyrrha faced presented new and interesting challenges.

Her most recently defeated opponent – a tournament veteran of ten years – shook his head in disbelief, despite meeting Pyrrha's eyes with a grin. Even though it was but a short distance between them, Pyrrha could hardly hear the man speak. "That was unbelievable, Nikos."

Pyrrha nodded, not trusting herself to form words between her ragged breaths. Constantly moving and dodging for over seven minutes straight could wind _anybody_. She looked up at one of the various displays around the arena, checking her's and her opponent's Aura meters.

Pyrrha's opponent, Bran Davies, had fallen just below the fifteenth percent, while Pyrrha herself – untouched – was still at one hundred percent.

It was a recurrent happening, but every time she saw the results her heart soared. Still undefeated; still _invincible_.

The redhead stood tall, now not only a three time Mistral Regional champion, but a three time Mistral Regional champion with only one more victory between her and a _fourth_ championship; Her fourth in a row, and a new record.

Pyrrha had the potential to set a _new record_. She couldn't help but feel a little excited about that.

The championship fighter raised Miló high above her head, and the roar of the crowd grew to the point that the ground began to vibrate beneath her feet.

She remained like that for but a moment, before remembering herself. It wasn't like Pyrrha to get caught up in the energy of the crowd. The now finalist walked over to her previous opposition and helped the older man to his feet.

"Thanks for a great match, Bran." She said honestly. Her fight against the large axe wielder had probably been the toughest of her fighting career - she had to actively use her semblance, albeit subtly, to narrowly avoid his strikes and to slip past his guard.

Pyrrha knew she could have easily won against Bran – as well as any other fighters – without her semblance, but as she been so _politely informed_ , tournament fighting was more of a performance than actual bloodsport. People didn't come watch to see a beat down… they came for a good show.

What better a 'show' to put on than to not get struck even once in a fight?

Once Pyrrha had cleared the floor – and was certain there were no cameras in her immediate vicinity – she allowed herself a light scowl. She enjoyed tournament fighting for what it was: fighting. All of the politics and drama that accompanied it was something she'd much rather do without.

She wasn't happy with her sponsorship deals, or even the advertising campaigns… the money was nice, but Pyrrha still didn't necessarily feel it was right to 'sell her image'. She – or rather, her 'agent' – even had to keep an eye on blog pages going around the CCTS for false rumors or other scandalous goings-on.

There were plenty of things Pyrrha didn't like about the tournament stage. Rivalries, having a 'fan base'… but the thing that kept her there was the fighting. Or more specifically, the competition.

Pyrrha didn't consider herself 'the best', but not a single fighter had actually pushed her to her limits - to work harder. Even at Sanctum, the other students barely held a candle to her. There was such a wide gap between herself and the next best. The Mistral Regional Tournament – open to all – was the best event in the whole kingdom to test her limits.

It was why she was going to Beacon. She'd heard good things about Vale's advanced academy.

Her mother wasn't necessarily happy with Pyrrha's decision at first, but after some explaining, she'd seen reason. After all, students from Haven did occasionally participate in the Mistral Regional, and they never seemed to make it to the finals. Pyrrha pushed that particular case hard: that she'd be able to grow – to _shine_ – at Beacon.

A few days later, followed by a couple tense phone calls, and she'd been accepted.

Pyrrha could hardly wait.

 _Only one more week…_

The championship fighter took off her circlet after entering the woman's locker room – empty, as the other semi-finalists had been male. She let her hair down, breathing out a long sigh as she stretched. The finals weren't until the next day, so she would allow herself to rest; to unwind. And then it was time to pack.

The sound of her unzipping her bag echoed through the silence of the empty room. As Pyrrha was about to undress in preparation for a nice relaxing shower, she noticed from the depths of the bag, the blinking light of her scroll – one associated with a message. Or, in this case, probably multiple messages.

It was quite likely the messages were simply congratulations on her victory, but Pyrrha had a nagging suspicion that there was at least one message she wasn't going to like.

There always was.

Flitting through the multitude of new messages – almost all which had the subject: ' _congratz_ ' – she found exactly what she didn't want to find: There was one message from her agent, titled ' _You need to see this_ '.

Pyrrha opened it, and began reading.

 _I wish I was simply congratulating you, but I know you better. You're not going to like this one bit…_

 _The other 'finalist', Mida, who you WERE supposed to be fighting tomorrow, has forfeited. Details are in the article I linked below. I'm sorry._

 _-Niles._

Pyrrha wasted no time. She tapped the link, and began reading. The more she read, the… _angrier_ she became. There were statements from fans who'd been interviewed – even a few words from Mida himself. Pyrrha re-read the article a couple times, and her anger faded into... emptiness.

...' _I can't win against her. We're obviously leagues apart.'..._

 _...'Even Bran Davies couldn't hit her. I doubt fully a qualified huntsmen could take her down easily.'..._

 _...'I'd rather try my luck with a Goliath, thank you very much.'..._

 _...'With the forfeit of her opponent, Pyrrha Nikos has now won four Mistral Regional Tournament championships in a row. The girl of only sixteen years of age had now set a new record for consecutive-'_

Pyrrha dropped the scroll back in her bag. She continued to undress, wanting to ignore what she'd just read. But even if the words weren't before her eyes, they were still _there_.

She'd been looking forward to a good fight – looking forward to a challenge… but now?

Pyrrha shuffled over to the showers, turning one of them on. She walked right under it, not even giving it time to warm up, the frigid water fierce against her skin.

And Pyrrha Nikos, _four time_ Mistral Regional champion, began to cry.

* * *

"I don't think it matters, whether I'm undefeated or not. However, someone who isn't willing to even try… that's a different matter entirely."

Mercury let out an abrasive snort, echoing in the empty warehouse that was their temporary base. Watching the televised interview, he continued to lose his faith in humanity.

What a load of _bullshit_.

"Mercury, it isn't like you to take an interest in the world of competitive fighting." The voice of his 'partner', Emerald, garnered his attention, the girl finishing up the maintainance she had to do on her revolvers. "Who's she? A potential target? Or maybe a crush of yours?"

Mercury shook his head, not willing to react to Emerald's obvious trap. "Nope. She's Pyrrha Nikos. She just won her fourth Mistral Regional Tournament in a row – but get this: she won by forfeit. Isn't that just a kick in the balls?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't have any." Emerald smirked her cocky little smirk, "So why's she important?"

Mercury went back to watching the news, now on an entirely different topic – a Dust robbery in Vale, probably that asshat Torchwick getting started with his part in their 'plan'. "She might be a 'classmate' of ours at Haven. Hell... If Cinder can't find a fourth person, she might be our _teammate_."

The steel haired assassin ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Neither him nor Emerald truly understood what was going through their bosses head – even though they knew never to question her plans. But infiltrating Mistral's huntsman academy and posing as students?

It was a far cry from fighting one of the four maidens of 'legend' and stealing her magical powers, that was for sure - but he still didn't know what was crazier.

One of them, they had actually almost _succeeded_ at, however.

Mercury was still a little uncertain about his… _employer's_ end goal, but wherever they were going to end up, he was with her, one hundred percent of the way.

After what he'd seen – what she'd shown him – he _had_ to be.

Emerald echoed her sigh. "I really do hope she finds someone. It would be tiring to have to hide what we're doing from someone on the same team as us."

"There's something we can agree on." Mercury nodded.

The television in front of him shut off, and he turned to Emerald. "What the hell Em? You can't just do that."

"But I didn't." Emerald rose her hands, showing they were empty. Mercury had long since grown used to Emerald's illusions, the girl having played some sick jokes on him before while utilizing her semblance.

So if Emerald hadn't been the one to turn off the TV, then who had?

Mercury blinked, and in the moment he had his eyes closed, a blade had seemed to appear directly between his legs, causing him to panic briefly. Attempting to back away deeper into his chair, he managed to flip the whole thing. "Shit!"

"The rafters!" Emerald called out, informing Mercury of their assailant's position. The male himself rolled to his feet, scanning the beams above.

By the time Mercury's eyes were skyward, Emerald shouted again "Behind you!"

 _Shit!_

Now slower on a reaction that would have come naturally, Mercury didn't manage to turn fast enough to get a leg up – literally – on his opponent. A rapid kick found its way into the back of his grounded leg – at the 'knee joint'.

A blow that would have brought a regular fighter to his knees was only a mild inconvenience to Mercury, as his prosthetic simply seized up briefly. In his assailant's brief hesitation, Mercury lashed out with his other leg, but met nothing but empty space.

Surprised, Mercury left his leg hanging there for a moment too long. He 'felt' two arms wrap around the artificial limb, and found himself flung half the length of the warehouse at a rather high speed.

Whoever they were fighting, he or she was _fast._ And strong.

Mercury slid across the floor, just barely managing to gain new footing as he slowed. As the teen rose, he felt a great impact, being pushed further back. Looking down at what had collided with him, Mercury almost wanted to laugh.

Emerald had been _thrown_ at him.

The impromptu projectile groaned, "Merc, we're going to have to work together to take her down."

"Yeah…"

Whether it was cockiness, confidence, or just plain stupidity, Emerald and Mercury's attacker allowed them a brief respite. Mercury took the time to catch a quick breather, and inspect their assailant.

It was… a little girl?

"Em…?" Mercury tapped the shoulder of his partner, whispering. "We're getting our asses kicked by a _little girl?_ "

Mercury watched as the girl flipped the chair he had been sitting on back to it's upright position, pulling the blade she'd likely thrown earlier from its padded seat. She pulled her long black twintails over her shoulders, before taking a seat, crossing her legs in a very ladylike fashion. Her bright green eyes were easily visible, even in the dim light of the warehouse. Her blade rested against her shoulder, but Mercury knew it could be moved quickly enough to be _anywhere_ else.

The girl wore a light, taunting smile, her black clothes slightly ruffled from sitting. Mercury took a step forward, wanting to go on the offensive, but Emerald held him back.

"Wait. _Together_."

Mercury nodded in understanding, waiting almost impatiently for Emerald to put her semblance to use. Receiving a light nod from his green haired ally, Mercury began to stalk towards the diminutive girl who had the _wonderful_ idea of giving the two time to regroup.

The unknown girl's eyes lingered over where Emerald remained, likely seeing through her own eyes that the two of them were immobile. She was going to regret attacking them, and Mercury was going to make sure that she-

Right as Mercury pulled back for a kick, the young looking girl's green eyes shifted to meet his own.

 _Shit!_

Mercury, although he didn't show any other outwards signs of panic, leapt away quickly. But the girl – who Mercury was certain had been about to attack – continued to sit in place, a pleased grin plastered on her face.

 _...Who is she?_

The teen boy moved back in, light on his feet in preparation to block or strike - or even retreat if needed. This time around, there was no reaction from the girl in the chair as he moved closer. Was it possible that Emerald's illusion just hadn't registered yet? He didn't fully understand his partner's semblance yet, so it may have been so.

As soon as Mercury pulled back, he released, leg snapping forwards. His foot made contact visibly; but not physically as he had been expecting. His leg appeared to pass through glass, the image of the girl disappearing in the shards. The steel haired teen was now tragically off balance.

"Merc!"

Hearing Emerald call for him, Mercury turned as quickly as he could, ready to be struck from the direction he now faced. When no attack came, he saw what had caused the dark skinned girl to call out.

His partner was on her knees, a blade held to her throat by the mysterious attacker, somehow having made it past not only him, but Emerald herself; someone who'd no doubt been extremely attentive after realizing her illusion had failed.

With his partner held hostage, there was only one thing Mercury Black could do; and it wasn't necessarily something he was good at either...

...Negotiating.

"What do you want?" Mercury asked cautiously. With Emerald at knifepoint – and not staining the floor – there was obviously something the girl wanted, right?

"She wants the same thing we do, dear Mercury."

Mercury recognized the voice, but he wasn't sure whether to tense up or relax. Turning to face the woman who just entered through a side door, Mercury swallowed the lump that had quickly grown in his throat.

"Who is she, Cinder?"

" _She,_ " Cinder's soft voice reminded Mercury of the warm coals produced by a dying fire – but he knew better, "is our new teammate. Her name is Neo. I'm... _borrowing_ her from Roman."

Mercury watched as the short girl removed her blade from Emerald's neck. " _She's_ one of _Roman's_?"

"Yes, but right now, she's one of _mine_. In addition to being the fourth member of our team, she'll also be providing support to Roman up until the Vytal tournament."

Mercury, Emerald and Cinder all moved closer together – although Cinder herself only took a couple steps into the spacious warehouse, Mercury and Emerald having to move quite the distance to meet her. The revolver wielder rubbed at her throat, where Neo's blade had sat, before asking: "How is she going to be helping Roman if we'll all be at Haven?"

Cinder smiled. "Trust me – she has her ways."

Something small and hard collided with the top of Mercury's head before landing on the floor with a light clatter. The grey haired teen already knew what it was, picking up the television remote that had just been dropped from the rafters. He looked up, meeting the eyes of their new _teammate_.

"Oh, and do try to get along with her." Cinder cooed. "I'd hate to have to find some… last minute replacements for you two."

* * *

Ozpin took a long sip from his steaming mug, eyes scanning the surveillance footage from the robbery that had occurred just mere minutes ago. He watched as the young girl with a long red cloak took down the gang members not only efficiently, but also _non-lethally_ \- a demonstration of superior skill.

That she was using a scythe definitely caught Ozpin's attention. But that wasn't exactly what he was looking for...

He was going to have to have a few words with this girl later – so long as Peter was actually able to detain her until he got there. The man had yet to be able to give a full report, but such a thing would be moot. Ozpin was planning on making his way down to Vale, to interview the girl personally.

But there was another, almost more pressing issue the headmaster had to take care of first.

"He's on his way up." The feminine voice came through the speaker installed in his desk.

Ozpin thumbed a button at the edge of said desk, allowing him to respond. "Thank you, Glynda."

"I only hope Qrow is right about him." His deputy stated, sounding as stern as ever – but Ozpin could sense the concern in her voice. "He seems... kind of _innocent_."

The headmaster of Beacon paused for a brief moment, considering his response. Or maybe it would be better to not respond at all?

…

Ozpin thumbed the button once more. "Me too, Glynda."

The elevator's doors opened, and out stepped a boy, not even an adult yet, dressed as if he was prepared to go out and fight the greatest battle he was ever to face.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, then, that Ozpin was about to be the one to introduce Jaune Arc to such a front: a different kind of battle, one he'd likely never seen.

A _war_ … one that a boy like Jaune should never even know of, never mind fight…

At least Ozpin still had a choice; the older man could simply neglect to tell Jaune anything. This meeting was, after all, disguised as one between a headmaster wanting to know one of his future students better, and it wouldn't be very hard to keep it that way.

But Ozpin trusted Qrow; trusted in him enough that this meeting was occurring in the first place. Now, however, it was up to himself to take the first step.

 _Hmm… how fitting._

"Mr. Arc, thank you for agreeing to meet at such a late hour." Ozpin stated, standing as one of his future students strode forward. The headmaster offered Jaune his hand, and the boy took it.

"It's no issue." The boy smiled, shaking Ozpin's hand. "I've had a couple late nights recently, so meeting at a time like this is fine."

 _He seems… different._ "Please, take a seat."

Jaune did so, Ozpin sitting back in his own chair as well.

Ozpin wasn't one to waste time; as such, his questioning of Jaune was something planned and structured for the sole purpose of learning exactly what made Jaune tick – as well as if he would be _useful,_ as well as trustworthy. Sure, one could say Ozpin was being manipulative, but being manipulative had been what had kept their enemies at bay for so long.

If Jaune would be a valuable asset, it was Ozpin's responsibility to have him on their side. Even if Qrow guaranteed the boy was practically already theirs.

Seconds of silence passed – seconds Ozpin had intended to pass awkwardly, though the young Arc showed no discomfort, whether he was clueless or patient.

"Again, I apologize for the lateness of the hour." Ozpin supplied, "The rest of Beacon's staff and I have been going over the results of the open exams. This year has had… a very interesting turnout." There were, in fact, still some openings; there was no shortage of applicants, but some just weren't up to snuff.

Jaune's eyes seemed to spark at that. "If I may ask, was there an applicant named Blake?"

Ozpin made a mental note of how polite the boy was being - and another one on how he seemed to know an ex-White Fang faunus activist. The girl had tried to hide it – but while it fooled the others, it certainly hadn't fooled Ozpin.

"Indeed. She a friend of yours?"

The blonde didn't try to hide the slightly uncertain expression on his face. "Yeah. More of an acquaintance, really."

Beacon's headmaster nodded, accepting Jaune's response. "I see. She made it in."

There were a couple more seconds of silence, before Jaune spoke up. "Is that why I'm here tonight? Something to do with _my_ acceptance?"

Ozpin hummed. "Not quite. I mostly just have a few questions to ask you, a future student of Beacon."

Jaune didn't speak, and Ozpin took the lack of response as permission – though it wasn't as if the white haired headmaster needed Jaune's permission. "The last time we spoke was the debriefing after the Nyurse tragedy." The blonde nodded. "However, I want to know about what happened in Atlas."

"In Atlas?"

Ozpin wasted no time confirming: "Two highly trusted, highly respectable sources told me directly of how your efforts saved lives. Of how you had been 'recommended' to abandon the Schnee laboratory, the odds against you. Yet even under all that pressure, you succeeded in your efforts to take back the complex. Though there were casualties, they were few. Tell me…

"Why didn't you flee? Why did you put your life on the line, against such odds?"

There were many wrong answers to Ozpin's questions – and only a few right ones. That 'it was the right thing to do' was the answer Ozpin expected the most. It was the simplest, but it also wouldn't tell Ozpin anything more than he knew.

Ozpin allowed Jaune a couple moments to ponder his response. The headmaster was already pleased: the fact that the boy hadn't answered immediately proved he was mature enough to consider anything Ozpin had to say.

 _He's patient, he's a thinker… with Qrow vouching for him, it's almost already enough…_

While he waited for Jaune's response, Ozpin thought back to the one thing the 'part-time teacher' had said that one night.

' _He deserves to know. If not for his good, then for the good of Vale – no, for the good of Remnant._ '

Ozpin had spent more time than what he considered reasonable thinking on Qrow's statement. In fact, the entire conversation played over in Ozpin's head any time he'd thought about the young Arc.

If the boy deserved to know, as Qrow said, then Ozpin never really had a choice in the first place.

After all, the boy's _blood_ deserved answers.

"If I had left, then and there," Jaune finally answered, disrupting Ozpin's musings. "I wouldn't have been able to live with that choice. Knowing that people – innocent people – died because _I_ wasn't willing to take a risk? Because I just… ran away, not willing to put my life on the line for others, even though I want to become a huntsman? I'd regret that until the end of my days."

"Looking back, if I'd died trying to take the lab, I wouldn't care; I'd be dead." The boy half-heartedly chuckled. "But running away? That would have been a mistake."

A _mistake_ …

' _Remember the last time this happened?_ '

There were only two more things Ozpin had to ask. "What of your friends and family? They'd most certainly cared if you'd died."

"I would rather them member me for who I was."

"And what about the village of Nyurse?"

Clearly, the question caught the Arc flat-footed – Ozpin had intended it to do so.

But the boy recovered quickly. "If I died at the lab, I wouldn't have been in Nyurse… but if I ran, it's likely I wouldn't have been there defending it either. And if I was… there's no guarantee things would have turned out the same. I learned a lot, back in Atlas."

Ozpin nodded, reaching out to take a sip from his mug, the beverage within now simply lukewarm. He set the coffee back down, tenting his fingers as he leaned forwards.

He supposed it was time.

"Tell me, Jaune Arc… What is your favorite fairy tale?"

* * *

 **No, Jaune is not going to be a maiden, sorry. I couldn't resist using that line, especially after it was suggested to me.**

 **In fact, there's probably a couple other things you guys might be confused about, so rather than waiting for and responding to a review, I'll just address them here:**

 **1) Glynda is not the one helping/(who helped) Ruby deal with Torchwick. This time around, that honor falls to the magnificent Peter Port. There'll be more on that next chapter. As for why? That may also get an explanation.**

 **2) Cinder and Co. are actually attending Haven. If Jaune can use fake transcripts to get into Beacon in canon, why can't they do the same to get into Haven? Besides, aside from the pilot episode (get it?) we don't see Cinder, Mercury, Neo, or Emerald in Vale until after Sun - another student at Haven - has already arrived. So it could quite possibly be canon.**

 **3) Speaking of pilots (That was the joke), Cinder didn't pilot Torchwick's Bullhead - because that's something that still doesn't make much sense. I mean, she's clearly not Roman's** **chauffeur. If there's a really good reason for her to have been at that specific robbery canonically, I'd love to hear it.**

 **With that said, I'll see you all later! Please let me know if I messed anything up, thank you!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	20. Reveal

**Oh my, sorry for the delay on this one. I've been extremely busy as of late with exams and work starting back up; thank you all for your patience.**

 **As always, let me know what you guys think in a PM or review. There'll be more to say at the end of this chapter, so for now, enjoy!**

* * *

"My… favorite fairy tale…?"

The consistent ticking of the gears overhead in the headmaster's office worked alongside those turning in Jaune's head, the boy trying to find a suitable answer to Ozpin's sudden question.

Jaune wasn't really sure what to think of the older man's peculiar inquiry. What did a fairy tale have to do with... well... _anything_? The blonde had been ready to answer every question to the best of his abilities – but considering what they'd been talking about mere moments before, Jaune's 'favorite fairy tale' didn't seem like a topic for conversation.

After Ozpin finished draining his mug of whatever had been contained, the professor spoke.

"Yes, Mr. Arc. Tales your parents might have told you when you were younger: Legends, myths. Fiction... _non-fiction._ "

It wasn't as if Jaune didn't know what a fairy tale was, but… "I don't think I was ever told a proper fairy tale when I was younger."

Ozpin's expression… there was no way Jaune could be certain what the man was thinking. The white haired headmaster of Beacon looked pleased, as well as disappointed; Relieved, as well as… concerned? His face was far from impassive, but there was much Jaune couldn't recognize.

"Is that so?"

Jaune nodded. "When I was younger, and I wanted-" _I can't believe I'm saying this_ "-a bedtime story… my father would always tell me tales of his own heroics when he was home."

"That is most interesting, Mr. Arc. But you at least know of a few, do you not? Fairy tales?"

"Only a couple names," Jaune confirmed, "like 'The Seasons' and 'Crone's Trail'…"

Ozpin leaned forwards slightly. "But you don't actually know the stories associated with them?"

"That's right."

Jaune could swear he heard Ozpin mutter something under his breath, before the man spoke directly to him again.

"Mr. Arc, I am about to share some… sensitive information with you. As such, what I am about to tell you should not be relayed beyond the walls of this room, unless necessary. Understood?" The oppressive atmosphere slowly settling in as the headmaster talked assured Jaune this wasn't something he'd simply get a slap on the wrist for…

Jaune kept a straight, serious face as he replied. "Absolutely."

"Outstanding." There was a brief pause, before Ozpin continued. "Every story has at least a little truth to it; Even in fictional worlds where the characters are but a thought of the individual who creates them… but a majority of the fairy tales told to our children exist because they have that single grain of truth…

"To be honest, I asked you for your favorite fairy tale expecting it to have been 'The Wanderer' or maybe even 'The Father of Giants' but your response has me at a loss. In fact, there's one particular 'fairy tale' I think you would be most interested in."

This was getting… strange. One _particular_ fairy tale? What was all that stuff about every story having a little truth to it.

Jaune couldn't help but frown slightly. "What fairy tale would that be?" There was nothing else he could really ask.

"There's a legend of old, a tale about great warriors who wielded a mystical power. Warriors able to slay legions of Grimm in the blink of an eye. They were _feared_ , legitimately feared, by the Grimm. The darkness fled at their presence. As the tale is told, no one knows where these warriors went. They simply 'vanished'."

 _As the tale is told..._ Jaune could tell Ozpin was leaving out a lot of the theatrics normally associated with the tale. "What happened to them?"

"Nothing."

…

" _Nothing_?" Jaune asked in surprise. "You mean we still have mystical warriors out chasing Grimm away, cutting them down by the thousands?"

Ozpin shook his head lightly. "Not quite... there are few of them left, and they aren't all huntsmen and huntresses."

"Well... why not?" It didn't make any sense to Jaune. "If they have the power to fight Grimm, why don't they use it?"

The headmaster sighed, before standing. Ozpin then turned, moving over to look out the massive window behind him. Jaune didn't know whether to stay seated, or move to join him. Considering the white haired man hadn't answered, Jaune decided to remain in his seat, and wait.

"That kind of thinking is exactly why those who have these powers don't all fight. Why a lot of them hide themselves from our world." Ozpin explained. "It's... rebellious behavior at best... but I can understand it. After all, the power is genetic; if you have it, there's a chance your sons or daughters will have it. Who wants to doom their family to an eternity of fighting humanity's enemies? If you don't – personally – want to fight, should you have to?"

Ozpin wandered back over to his chair, taking a seat once more. "As much as it may seem necessary, we cannot force those who do not wish to fight into battle. Politically, it's frowned upon, but there is another reason: If word got out that the government – or even the schools – started drafting people to fight, what would happen?"

Jaune weighed the possibilities in his mind quickly, before responding. "People would panic. They would fear they would be chosen. And-"

"And that would bring the Grimm in greater numbers, yes."

Jaune slumped in his chair slightly – he'd been keeping his posture professional the whole time, but now he was feeling as if doing so was a losing battle. "So... why exactly is this sensitive information?"

Ozpin half smiled. "I was just getting to that, Mr. Arc. Your aunt was – is – one of these mystical warriors."

Jaune froze. "My aunt...?"

A scroll was slid across the table to Jaune. It was one of the larger types; the kind the young man would have wanted for working on schematics and other design work. Jaune hardly noticed his fingers twitching as he moved to turn the scroll around so it would be facing him.

"Yes," Ozpin continued, "Your aunt, Summer Rose. Over ten thousand kills in the field – Grimm of course… she's currently listed as missing in action, presumed dead."

The words registered in Jaune's head, but they felt distant as he stared at the woman on the display before him. She looked... beautiful, but in the same way his mother was beautiful. Jaune spotted all the similarities between Summer and his mother immediately; the first thing he noticed were the eyes, the same shade of silver.

Even without comparing the appearance of woman in the picture with that of his mother, Jaune knew this was his aunt.

Jaune realized it may be a little... rude... but he couldn't help but ignore Ozpin as he read through the information to the right of his aunt's picture. _Beacon graduate, leader of team STRQ_...

… _"Twenty three_ cases of detention?" Jaune had to ask, still scanning the words for any information he hadn't already known from his aunt's journal – _Summer's_ journal.

"She... well, _her_ _team_ were quite the bunch of troublemakers." Ozpin said with a chuckle. "But they were also the _best_."

"And you said something along the lines of ' _presumed dead_ '?"

Ozpin nodded grimly. "We don't know, not for certain."

Jaune nodded, sliding the scroll back over to Beacon's headmaster. The future student knew that this wasn't all the headmaster had brought him here for. There was some other reason he was here. "If it's genetic... does that mean...?"

"No, you don't have the same power she did. You don't have the same eyes."

"I see." Jaune brought a hand to his chin. "But then who-"

"Your mother, and three of your sisters have the same power Summer did." Ozpin interrupted. "They are all 'Silver-Eyed Warriors'."

 _My mother_... and _three_ sisters? Which ones?

"So if they have silver eyes, they have those powers?"

Ozpin nodded.

 _Well, Juncea has blue eyes, same as dad... so does Daisy... who has_ _silver eyes_?

"Lily Arc, age twelve, Claire Arc, age nineteen, and Violet Arc, age fifteen ." Ozpin stated quickly, as if he'd gone over the information hundreds of times.

Jaune was speechless. How did this man know exactly which of his siblings had silver eyes, when Jaune himself had only been able to remember two who had blue ones?

Likely noticing Jaune's lost expression, Ozpin sighed. "On to the true reason this is all sensitive information... And, coincidentally, why your mother is no longer an active huntress."

Jaune swallowed the lump in his throat, waiting impatiently for the headmaster of Beacon to continue his explanation.

"We are at war, Mr. Arc. You would be correct in assuming Grimm are humanity's worst enemy, but that is not the entire truth. Grimm are ...not mindless – they can, in fact, be controlled, even tamed.

"Someone – or something – is _assisting_ the Grimm. They are the reason Summer Rose is 'missing'. And chances are, they're looking for your mother as well. The Silver-Eyed Warriors are that much a prize – that much of a threat. If our enemies learned there were three girls - young, defenseless, impressionable girls – who held the power as well…"

"They'd be targeted."

"Yes, and _we_ cannot guarantee their protection around the clock." Jaune felt like the 'we' Ozpin used included him. "The longer this war goes on, the more danger they'll be in. Your mother is no longer active at my own personal request, no matter what she may say. Having her out in the field does more harm than good."

Jaune ran a hand through his blonde hair, sighing. There was no way Jaune would be able to turn down whatever 'offer' Ozpin had… and he knew something was coming:

No one simply hands out as much information as the headmaster of Beacon just did without expecting something in return. And Jaune would be an idiot to turn down who was likely the most powerful man in Vale.

"What do you need from me?"

Ozpin showed no elation at having 'won' Jaune over – likely knowing at this point Jaune couldn't refuse anything he asked. Instead, the man reached underneath his desk, grabbing something, and sliding it over. Only once it was in Jaune's hands did the boy recognize it as a scroll.

It was similar to his own, the only difference being black in color. With the scroll in his grip, Jaune looked up, meeting Ozpin's eyes.

The headmaster spoke then. "I won't lie to you, Jaune." It felt… odd, hearing the headmaster call him by his first name. "Long term, we're hoping you can help us win this war. But for now, at least, once you're a student at Beacon we'll have you take care of anything we cannot, as well as be our eyes and ears among the students.

"That scroll there," Ozpin gestured towards the black scroll Jaune was just beginning to turn on, "Has quite the… _contact list_ … with it you'll be able to get in touch with me, or anyone else who's… well… on our side. Only do so in an emergency or to relay critical information, however. I doubt General Ironwood would appreciate a social call."

 _General Ironwood?_ Jaune flitted through the scrolls displays, finding the contacts. The list was… short, but the names belonged to some real heavyweights: the headmasters of Haven and Shade, as well as Ozpin and Ironwood. So every academy's headmaster… there were also a couple names he didn't recognize. Jaune's eyes lingered over one name in particular, however.

"Qrow's on this list?"

Ozpin chuckled. "He's the reason you're here, actually."

Jaune opened his mouth to respond, then quickly snapped it back shut. There was no point in asking Ozpin about his former teacher's involvement; he could just ask Qrow the next time he saw him.

"This is a lot to take in." Jaune noted aloud, more for himself than the man in front of him. "You... you're putting a lot of trust in me."

Ozpin actually smiled at Jaune's remark. "The fact that you realize that says it all. Now then, I feel like I've kept you here long enough. I'm sure the next time you see me, we'll be in the presence of others. I'll assume you'll… act appropriately?"

The blonde guessed Ozpin meant to act as if this meeting had never happened. Jaune nodded, even as Ozpin stood. "Of course." Jaune said, rising to his feet as well, "Actually… it's just a thought, but is it possible anyone with silver eyes could be one of these…?"

"Silver-Eyed?" The headmaster finished for Jaune. "I suppose it's a possibility."

"Okay, then you remember Yang Xiao Long? She was on the Nyurse mission?" It felt weird to be using his best friend's full name. Ozpin indicated he did indeed remember with a nod. "Her sister, Ruby, has silver eyes. Ruby Xiao Long."

"Ruby _Xiao Long_?"

"Yeah," Jaune confirmed. "She'll be a third year at Signal this year."

"I suppose I'll have to keep an eye out for her then." Ozpin stated.

With those words said, the two remained in place, standing across from each other. Jaune was… unsure what to do; he'd technically been dismissed, but it would be awkward to just walk out.

"So…" Jaune started. "I guess I'll see you…?" The blonde offered a hand for the headmaster to shake, and to his relief, the man took it.

"Indeed."

With the pressure of uncertainty gone, Jaune made his way to the elevator, the doors opening before him as he approached. It was odd, as there didn't seem to be a sensor. Maybe the headmaster controlled it from the desk?

Jaune took the spot dead center in the elevator, turning to face the office and it's lone occupant as the doors slid closed.

He was sure he'd get used to the sight.

* * *

"…and then, the dying Goliath – in a last act of defiance – began to charge rampantly!" The mustached huntsman continued.

"Oooh… what then?"

Ruby Rose was not a girl who liked to sit still for too long; anyone who knew her could attest to that. Spending three hours in a rather small 'interrogation' room, waiting for… _something_? Not on her list of favorite things to do.

At least Professor Port was there – although whether it was proper to call him a professor when he wasn't even teaching her, the girl didn't know. Regardless, Ruby was sure she wouldn't have survived without him – both earlier in the night at the scene of the robbery as well as through her current endeavor. He was a huntsman; someone she could respect. The various tales he told her as they waited only bolstered the man's image.

After all, the man _did_ give her his autograph. It was on the sheet of paper she currently had clutched in her hands, waiting for the thrilling conclusion to his current tale. The huntsman hadn't even hesitated to give it out when she asked him.

Ruby glanced down at the picture laying in front of her. Even now, Ruby didn't consider it odd that the man had been carrying around a picture of himself. He autographed it on the spot, with the message ' _For Ruby. Stay vigilant._ '

"Me and my comrades were far enough away that we wouldn't have been in any danger. However, as me and my team exchanged looks, we knew what had to be done. We charged back into the fray, hoping to finish the beast before it did any more damage to the abandoned fort, or anyone taking shelter inside."

 _An unspoken agreement between huntsmen and huntresses…_ _as if they were all thinking the same thing! That's…_

 _Just so cool!_

"Unfortunately, I didn't not manage to land the killing blow on the massive beast myself." Port explained. "That honor belongs to- ah, sorry Miss Rose, just a moment."

Ruby was curious as to what could have interrupted the older man's epic tale – nothing seemed to – when his actions answered for her. The huntsman who'd helped her earlier pulled a scroll from his pocket, answering it swiftly.

"Hello!" Port shouted into the receiver. Ruby winced at the volume, knowing whoever was on the other end was likely hurting quite a bit.

There the room was oddly quiet for a second, as the mustached huntsman listened to whoever was calling.

"Yes, she's still here. Room 2B." there was a pause again, as Ruby heard the light murmur of a voice through the huntsman's scroll. "Fret not, I've kept her well entertained…"

Ruby fidgeted in her seat, eager for the man's call to be over. She _really_ wanted to hear more about the Goliath.

After a few more words were exchanged over the scroll, Peter Port returned the device to his pocket. "Well, I'm sorry Miss Rose, but it seems like the stunning conclusion to my tale will have to wait."

"Aww, that's too bad." Ruby commented. It really was.

"However – dare I say it myself – there's someone here who may have something a little more… _interesting_ to discuss."

Before Ruby could ask the large man what he meant, the room's only door opened. In walked a man, incredibly tall, wearing a sharp-looking suit and a green scarf. Rather than looking up to inspect the man's face, Ruby's attention was drawn by the large plate of cookies the newcomer had balanced in one hand.

The scythe wielder's eyes followed, watching as the plate of cookies was deposited directly in front of her. Ruby looked up, only catching a glimpse of the man's face before receiving a nod of permission. Indeed, these cookies were for her.

She devoured them in seconds.

By the time she was done, Professor Port was standing, having given up his seat to the man who was now before her – white hair, with small, fashionable glasses balanced over his nose.

It was Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon. She's have recognized him even if his face was half covered in mud.

The white haired man let out a brief hum, looking into her eyes; but at the same time, looking _past_ them.

After a moment, the headmaster spoke. "Indeed, you do seem to have silver eyes."

"Uh...?" Ruby may have been a _tad_ 'socially inept', as Yang would call it, but at least she knew what was and wasn't a good way to start a conversation.

"Ah, my apologies Miss Rose, I've had my mind stuck on something the whole time on my way over here." Ozpin took a sip from the mug in his hand. "Now then, it is my understanding that Professor Port here happened upon a robbery in progress, but as he was about to intervene, one of the robbers came crashing out of the store window."

"Well, he had a weapon on him," Ruby scratched the back of her head, "I had to do _something._ "

"I've reviewed the security footage from the shop in question." The headmaster mentioned. "Most people would be unable to do _something,_ never mind send the criminal in question flying out the front of the store. And what you did afterwards was... Let's have you see for yourself. Professor Port, if you would."

At Ozpin's request, the man who'd kept Ruby company during the long wait started a video on his tablet-scroll. The red cloaked girl watched on, as the earlier mentioned footage played.

"Pause here." Ozpin ordered, and Port did so. In the footage, Ruby had just taken the second to last thug out of the fight - the last one being the orange haired guy who was the leader. "Now then, Miss Rose, how would you explain what you had done thus far?"

"I... uh, fought some bad guys?" Ruby said cautiously.

Professor Port let out a snort of amusement, Ozpin glancing once at the big man before returning his attention to Ruby. " _Yes_. But I'm more interested in _how_ you fought them. You fought to disable, not to... severely injure. With a weapon as intimidating and lethal as yours, I was surprised there wasn't anyone leaving in pieces."

The thought made the girl sick to her stomach. Sure dismembering Grimm – the embodiment of evil? That was okay. People? Not so much. "At Signal they put an emphasis on fighting carefully when you're unsure whether a person has Aura or not."

"It's a good thing they do." Ozpin noted. "After all, those men didn't have access to their Auras. They all escaped with minor injuries."

Ruby stood abruptly. "You mean they got _away_?"

The headmaster tilted his head, even as Port let out a bark of laughter.

"Of course not." The mustached huntsman explained. "He meant they got away from _you._ They're all in the pen, Miss Rose."

…

"Oh." Ruby sat back in her own seat, feeling extremely embarrassed about her outburst.

"So. You mentioned Signal Academy. Third year, I presume?"

Ruby nodded. "Starting in six days." That was a good guess.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you don't seem the military type. Nor law-enforcement, though your record for catching criminals is pretty good already."

There was only one way for the girl to respond. "I want to be a huntress."

"Hmm... you want to slay monsters?"

"Well, yeah. I want to help people. Ever since I was little. My mom and dad were both Hunters, and I guess I idolized them. That and being a huntress is just…"

"… I see." The white haired man tented his fingers. "Do you know who I am?"

"There wasn't a chance I wouldn't recognize you. You're Headmaster Ozpin."

Ozpin nodded. "Correct. Then, obviously, you know what I d-"

"You run Beacon Academy, as well as coordinate the huntsmen and huntresses across Vale."

If the headmaster was annoyed at the interruption, he didn't show; but Ruby just couldn't help it. " _Correct_. Am I to assume then, that you are planning on attending Beacon in two year's time?"

 _Of course. Where else would I go_? "Yes."

"How would you like to start _now_?"

* * *

Jaune slowly closed the door to his bedroom, the light _click_ making him wince and freeze up in fear. It was far, _far_ too late for him to have been out, and although his parents wouldn't care all that much – the two knowing he'd be home late – his sisters would likely make a big stink of it. Especially Claire...

 _Shit_.

The blonde shuddered at the thought.

Now that he was safely in his room, Jaune got dressed for bed. Both scrolls – his personal one, as well as the new, black one – were placed on his nightstand.

Sighing, Jaune got beneath his sheets, reaching past the two scrolls for the book that rested next to them; one of the many Ninjas of Love novels he'd recently acquired. The blonde flipped to the first page, this particular novel being a fresh read. He considered going over some topics in his Aunt's journal – with his newfound knowledge – but he actually wanted to get _some_ sleep before the morning.

After reading a few lines of ' _Ninjas of Love: Conquest_ ', Jaune scoffed, slamming the book closed. There was no way he was going to be able to enjoy a good read after what he's just learned: A secret war, an unknown enemy… a bloodline with mystical powers he just so happened to be a part of – even if he had no powers himself...

That his mother was in danger? His sisters?

In it's own way, it felt like a bad dream. Despite everything, the blonde felt like he was getting nothing out of 'working' for Ozpin – nothing but a nagging fear something bad was going to happen at any moment. Or maybe he was just too tired to realize all he had to gain.

But… this was what he wanted, wasn't it? If he could help Ozpin, then he'd be doing more than just protecting people from Grimm. Terrorists, assassins, kidnappers... If there is an unknown enemy out there, isn't it better he knows about it?

Jaune closed his eyes – he felt tired, worn out… but he just knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep easily.

A sizable amount of time passed. Jaune twisted and turned, trying to fight his way deeper into his bedding.

The blonde caught a glimpse of his scroll as he opened his eyes for just a moment. He tried to ignore it's charcoal-colored counterpart, and the implications of having it

Roughly a minute went by, before Jaune grabbed his scroll – not the new one – head still buried in his pillow. The boy turned over, the screen lighting up so brightly he had to shield his eyes for a few moments until they adjusted.

Almost four o'clock.

Jaune sighed, opening the messaging application. He sent Yang a quick ' _Call me when you're up',_ before turning the scroll's volume high enough he'd hear it and wake. As far as he knew, he couldn't tell her anything; but it'd be nice to talk to her and get his mind off things.

That, and he found her voice calming. He didn't know what it was.

Probably ten seconds after he sent the message, his scroll began buzzing and ringing. He hadn't even had the chance to put it back down yet.

" _Yang?_ " Jaune whispered, answering.

"What are you doing up so late, Jaune?" Yang asked. That's what _he_ was supposed to be asking!

"Can't sleep. And you? I was thinking you'd get my text in the morning, and then call me and wake me up."

There was the telltale sound of Yang yawning, before the girl spoke. "I'm waiting for Ruby to get home. She's pretty late actually." _Four o'clock? Very late_. "If dad was home, she'd be getting an earful as soon as she'd be through the door. But _I'll_ let this one slide."

Wait a minute... _Ruby_ was late? Like, late coming home?

Jaune tensed up immediately. "What's Ruby doing?" He had half a mind to get dressed and grab his weapons, just in case, but he knew he was way too tired. He'd only learned about the whole silver eyes thing but a few hours ago, but for something to happen so soon? With his free hand, Jaune grabbed the new scroll, ready to send a message to Ozpin on a moment's notice.

"I got a text from her earlier, saying she was at the VPD headquarters answering questions. She fought off some robbers at a Dust shop, small time crooks or something."

"Ah, nothing serious then, that's good." Jaune relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh. He returned the black scroll to it's resting place.

Besides, Ruby being related to his family's ancestors and having the same powers as his aunt was just a hunch anyways.

"Geez, Jaune. Worried about her?"

"A little." Jaune answered honestly. "No matter how handy she is with her scythe, she seems like someone I feel I should protect."

That… sounded a little strange, didn't it? The colossal pause between his statement and Yang's response seemed to answer for him.

"Jaune, do you like Ruby?"

Uhh… odd question? "If I didn't like her, then why would we be friends? Of course I do."

"No I mean, do you _like_ her?"

Oh. Now it's not nearly as weird a question. Still just as vague though. "Like, do I find her attractive?" No answer from Yang. "Romantically?" Still, no answer.

Jaune felt his face grow slightly warmer. He didn't really want to suggest it, but it would at least make sure Yang was still listening. "Sexu-"

" _Not another syllable Jaune Arc_!" Yang's voice came in loudly. " _Romantically_ , got it? I don't need to know if she makes you want to… _to._.."

"Alright, alright." Jaune interrupted right back. Damn it, now he was _thinking_ about it. But down that path lay his ruin.

"Your sister's nice, Yang, but I like what we have." Jaune explained. "I don't want to say 'maybe one day' but if I don't find somebody by the time we're both in our mid-thirties-"

The sound coming through the scroll was something Jaune recognized as a cross between Yang's laughter and the sound of her choking. After his best friend calmed, she spoke. "Mid-thirties? You should have a little faith in yourself Jaune. Besides, if my sister can't find a decent guy by the time she's twenty, I'll have to give her a little help."

Now it was Jaune's turn to laugh. "You? Help _her_? Ha, there wouldn't be any guys _left_ for Ruby."

"Wow Jaune... I give you a compliment, and all I get is an insult?" Yang's voice sounded uncharacteristically bitter.

Huh? "What do you mean?"

"…No guys left for Ruby? Because I'd scare them all away?" Yang asked, retaining the same slightly acidic tone.

Why would she even think that? "No, I meant it like you'd, I don't know, steal all the guys away from her, or something like that." Jaune scratched a spot on his head. "You don't actually think that, do you? That you scare guys away?"

"Well, I don't have a boyfriend, do I?" Yang pointed out.

"You don't, but I'm sure there's plenty of guys who'd want to be your boyfriend... Didn't really think you were the _boyfriend_ type, either."

"That's exactly what I mean! I wasn't approached once – _once! –_ during the fourth year at Signal."

"I'm sure it isn't your fault." Jaune wasn't actually sure if it was or not. If he was being honest with himself, Jaune was actually starting to think the guys _were_ scared of Yang - or at least, scared to approach her. "Besides, there's me, right?"

"What do you mean, ' _there's you_ '?" Yang asked, dangerously. Jaune could almost feel the intensity through the scroll.

Jaune took a second to let his thoughts gather. "I mean, I'm not scared of you." _Probably a lie_. "I don't think I've ever been scared of you, or approaching you." _Definitely a lie._

 _"_... _Really_?"

"Yes." A little white lie – one that would have for _sure_ been caught if he had been talking to Yang in person.

"Oh, Ruby's home!" All the tension was gone. Yang's voice returning to ' _normal_ '. "I'll tell you what Jaune, I'm going to call you tomorrow morning, okay? I've got to grill Ruby for answers right now, before she rushes off to bed."

Jaune rubbed his face, "Yeah, sure. I'll just-" The line went dead. "I'll just go to sleep, probably more wound up than when I called you." He said to nobody.

Well, she did say she'd call him tomorrow, right? It didn't really matter, in that case.

Jaune put his scroll down on the nightstand carefully, before laying his head back against his pillow.

The boy was asleep instantly.

* * *

 **Not exactly the _longest_ of chapters, but man, I dropped some bombs on you guys, didn't I? For some people, the Summer thing was _extremely_ obvious. I hope it's at least a surprise to some of you. Jaune's mother and sisters? They'll all have a role to play, some larger than others.**

 **So, Jaune's on the inside. That's going to be fun. Now, I'm going to go have a cup of coffee before I die of decaffination (No i'ts not a word, but it suits my purpose.)**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	21. Arrival

**Yo. I feel really bad that it's been almost a month _yet again_. I wish I had more time to write in the past few days, but now that summer has started, I've just been hooped by work and school. On weekdays, I've got work from 10 till 2, an hour or so break, then class till 7 (at which point I'm already dead tired for some reason). That gives me roughly 5 hours of free time each week day. Not to mention i'd have 20 hours of work on the weekend as well.**

 **5 hours of 'free time', and so many things coming out (Dark Souls 3, Overwatch Beta... etc.) Meant I couldn't commit very much time to writing. For that I apologize.**

 **However, now that classes are in full swing and I've properly adjusted to my work schedule, I'll be able to actually put more time into writing - including getting out a chapter for JaFP, which hasn't updated for _over two months! (gasp)_**

 **Hopefully this is the last time you guys have to wait so long for a chapter. Let me know what you guys think, as always.**

* * *

Jaune took a deep breath, just before he was pulled deeper into his seat, sudden acceleration forcing him back against leather. Perhaps he was being overly bitter, but Jaune honestly thought whoever gave his eldest sister her driver's license should be shot.

"Y' know Jaune, you don't _have_ to take a deep breath _every time_ we start moving again, right?" Juncea suggested, brushing a few strands of stray hair from in front of her eyes before regripping the steering wheel.

"But I feel like I have to." Jaune replied, letting the air leak out of him. "It's like taking a breath before diving. But seriously, I think I'd feel safer jumping out of a Bullhead at a few thousand feet."

Juncea turned to look at him. _Eyes on the road, eyes on the road!_ "We can arrange that."

"Not with you flying, please!"

The nearly contagious sound of giggling resounded from the back. Jaune didn't even turn to regard the two-thirds of the triplets that were riding behind him. As it turned out, not only did his sister Juncea have to drive him to Vale's airport, but she also had the ' _privilege'_ of looking after Yuné and Mist for a couple of days.

Both of Jaune's parents were busy getting Lily settled on Patch, as classes at Signal started roughly the same time Beacon's did. Jaune couldn't wait to see how far Lily could go; but right now, his thoughts were purely selfish.

Today was the eve of initiation. Starting today, he'd be living at Beacon for four years – he'd make new friends, teammates. He'd learn how to be a be a Huntsman... a _good_ Huntsman, like his father or Qrow. He might even finally discover his semblance.

Whatever would happen at Beacon – whatever _awaited_ Jaune at Beacon, he was equal parts prepared and unsuspecting. It was thrilling.

Perhaps that was just Yang rubbing off on him though.

 _Yang_... Jaune's thoughts strayed from his sister's erratic driving. The girl had called him the morning after his meeting with Ozpin - as she promised she would. They'd chatted about a few things, but one thing Yang mentioned had stuck with him: she had a big surprise for him the day before initiation.

 _Today_.

Telling Jaune there would be a surprise didn't even _ruin_ the surprise, as the boy had no idea what it could possibly be. In fact, Jaune was rather nervous. The way Yang presented it over the scroll, it had to be a good thing... but _still._

She'd sounded excited; and that had _him_ excited.

Juncea took a sharp right turn, Jaune straining against the seatbelt as it held him in place. How the truck had survived so long in the hands of such an erratic driver, Jaune had no clue. At least they weren't much further from the airport. "Seriously, would it kill you to drive a little more carefully?"

"Pshh, come on Jaune. I bet you've never driven in your life."

"I _have_ so!" Jaune responded indignantly. When Juncea's eyes left the road again, Jaune rapidly added, " _Once_."

"Oh? Tell me." She didn't believe him.

"Yang let me use her motorcycle once, in exchange for a waxing."

The tires screeched as the truck came to a stop at a sudden light change. Jaune could hear the girls in the back thudding against their seats. " _What_?" Juncea asked.

"What do you mean ' _what_ '? She let me ride Bumblebee, and waxed it afterwards." Was that so strange? It made sense to Jaune – if Yang was giving him permission to ride her bike, he could at least take care of it afterwards.

Besides, Jaune was _dead_ if Yang found that scratch.

"I don't- jus- you know what? Nevermind."

A minute later, the truck pulled right up to the drop-off area for the airport. Jaune got out, thankful to be on steady ground, walking briskly to the back. The boy grabbed his small amount of luggage from the bed of the truck. Just one bag and a suitcase, but it was all he really needed: Dust, clothes, a few books.

He could always dedicate a day to popping back home if he forgot anything. Everyone acted as if they weren't going to see him again, but really, home wasn't all that far after all.

Juncea was the only one who left the truck, putting it in park while Jaune got his bags. Yuné and Mist stayed buckled up in the back as Juncea strolled over to say farewell. Almost mirroring the way she said goodbye to him before he began at Signal, Juncea wrapped Jaune up in a big hug. "Remember, I don't live all that far from the airport, so if you want to visit I'll be sure to set some time aside for you."

"I got it." Jaune mumbled into her shoulder, slightly embarrassed – only now being reminded of how freakishly tall his sister was.

"Mum and Dad said you need to give them a call in a couple days as well." Jaune's eldest sister pulled back, releasing him from the hug – but not before giving him a peck on the forehead. "They say if you don't, then you're in big trouble."

Jaune smiled. He'd call them regardless, but ' _big trouble_ ' was still a very heavy threat. "Thanks for the ride Jun', even if you drive like a one-armed rabid Beowolf."

Juncea chuckled, "Aren't all Beowolves rabid, or something?" She asked rhetorically. "I mean it though: come visit sometime. And bring your girlfriend with you."

Jaune scoffed, looking to the sky for help. Juncea was _so keen_ on Jaune being in a relationship – probably because of her own lack of one. "For the last time Jun', I don't have a girlfriend-"

" _Jaune~!_ " The boy, recognizing the voice, turned and brought his eyes down to level with the source.

He saw Yang, standing just before the airport entrance, waving. He put a single hand up in greeting, before turning to continue his farewells...

Except that with a synchronized squeal, Yuné, Mist, and the truck's tires said goodbye, Juncea flooring the Dust pedal.

Jaune shrugged before sighing, able to hear Yang's muffled laughter from far behind him.

Slinging the lighter bag over his shoulder – careful not to get it caught on Aquilla – Jaune marched off towards Yang, having not seen the girl for roughly two weeks.

" _Sisters_..." Jaune complained as he got closer. "Hey Yang. You ready?" Not really a question, just a simple greeting.

"Born ready" The girl replied quickly. "Let's go. We've got like, five minutes 'till boarding starts."

The duo entered the airport, and Jaune noticed it wasn't all that crowded. Jaune's definition of crowded, however, was what had occurred after Nyurse, with all the evacuee's crammed in the building – so maybe it really was crowded.

It wasn't until they got closer to their terminal that Jaune started to see the first signs of the other future students of Beacon; all of them clad in a wide variety of colors. The sheer number of them – all armed and some armored – was probably making security nervous.

"So, Yang, not to be _too_ uh..." Jaune couldn't think of the word, so he let the silence speak fill in the blank for him, "But what's the surprise you told me about?"

"Oh, _that_." Yang smiled, looking away from Jaune. "Just give it a second."

Jaune did indeed give it a second. That second passed, and the boy felt himself be tackled from behind. He stumbled slightly, before the weight settled in, two black sleeves hanging around his neck.

"Ruby?" Jaune guessed, turning his head slightly to get a look at his ineffective assailant.

"Hi Jaune." The scythe wielder greeted nonchalantly over his shoulder. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess. Could you... uhh... do me a favor though?"

The girl hummed thoughtfully. "Sure, what is it?"

"Can you get off my back? Aquilla's... kinda digging in right between my shoulder blades. It's _really_ uncomfortable."

"Oh, sorry." Ruby slid down his back, landing on her feet in a pair of light taps. The girl 'danced' past him to stand next to her sister.

Yang was holding up her scroll.

"And~ recorded." Yang confirmed, sliding her scroll into her pocket. "I'll send it to you later Rubes. Oh, and you look good with a cloak, Jaune. Red kinda suits you."

" _Ha ha_." Jaune emphasized the syllables thickly. "That got me good. A week in the making that one?"

"Not really. Kinda a 'in the moment' thing." Yang explained.

"I see. So, Ruby, you're here to see us off?" Jaune asked the shorter girl.

Both Ruby and Yang shook their heads no. "Actually, that's the surprise." Yang added.

Ruby hopped up and down in glee. "I'm coming with you guys to Beacon! Isn't it exciting?"

The male of the group smiled, not willing to pass up the opportunity to get a good jape in. "Yang, you're only allowed one carry-on bag, you know that right?"

The blonde girl nodded, her hair bobbing in unison – smiling to show she appreciated the joke, but answering seriously. "Yeah, but Ruby's not just coming for the sake of coming, you know. She's going to be a student, just like us."

Jaune continued smiling, but on the inside, that smile died. He was surprised his voice didn't crack as he asked: "What?"

Ruby stepped a little closer, half whispering. "I've been moved ahead two years. Don't, you know, go saying that to everyone though. It's not really a secret but..."

Yang moved forwards, finishing Ruby's explanation. "Ruby doesn't want anyone to see her as anything special."

The words registered in Jaune's brain properly, but his thoughts were elsewhere...

 _Was this Ozpin's doing_?

Jaune had been trying his hardest to push the meeting with the headmaster from his mind – along with his new... ' _responsibilities'._ Most of those efforts, however, had been in vain: When he last saw his mother and Lily, all he'd been able to think about was how they had those eyes _-_ and how they were in danger. Claire and Violet? They were in danger, and he was leaving them. It was his new reality.

How could he protect them when he was so far away?

That Ruby was here, in front of him, with eyes the same color as theirs? Moved ahead two years in schooling, to what was probably the most secure location this side of Remnant?

Not a coincidence. Ozpin found something. Or was the headmaster just acting on Jaune's suspicion?

Or... he could be overreacting. The boy took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked, concern tinting her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... kinda missing home already." Jaune lied.

Yang smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Jaune. I'm sure Beacon isn't going to be all that much different from Signal. Let's go."

Jaune was happy for the reassurance – even if it was for the wrong reasons.

"Yes. Let's."

* * *

"Don't worry Rubes, you've got me and Jaune here with you. You'll be fine."

Ruby's sudden nervousness came as a surprise to Yang; maybe her younger sister just hadn't clued-in to the reality of her situation until now.

"I know I've got you guys..." Ruby shuffled nervously where she was standing. "But still, I don't want anyone to think I'm getting special treatment or anything like that. I'm only fourteen – I don't want to be an outcast, or treated differently than the others."

How many times could they talk about the _same thing_ in a day?

Jaune – thank goodness he was here too – tried reassuring Ruby as well. "Then stop thinking you're going to be an outcast, Ruby. If you don't see yourself as being special, then other people won't think the same of you either...

"Or something like that."

 _Tried_ reassuring Ruby.

Yang groaned. Sometimes, it felt like Jaune was going somewhere with what he was saying – as if he was actually providing _good_ advice – and then he would just trail off and add 'or something like that'. It completely killed whatever he was saying.

The fact that he seemed to be only 'half-there' didn't help.

The blonde boy who might as well have been family to her for the past year was acting strange – he thought he was hiding it well behind the light smile, but he really wasn't - she could see it in his eyes, and the way he stood. Something was up, but Yang couldn't confront Jaune about it now, on a crowded airship full of students their own age.

She'd get to the bottom of it eventually. She swore it.

"Yeah, what Jaune said." Yang stated. "If you want to be normal, act normal. If people start treating you poorly, I'll kick their asses for you."

" _Yang_ , that'll just make it worse." Ruby responded, trying to scowl. "Right Jaune?"

Jaune nodded, still lost deep in his own head. "Yeah, it'd be better if I kicked their asses instead of having your sister do it, right?"

Ruby groaned. " _Wrong!"_

Yang let out a light chuckle at Ruby's expense – even though she knew Jaune mostly meant it as a joke... _or had he_? "See, this is how older people deal with problems."

Ruby let out an even quieter groan, while Yang laughed it off. Sometimes the best way to get Ruby's mind off something was to tease her.

"Hey Ruby, is this what you were talking about?"

Or distract her.

Jaune got the attention of both girls, pointing to one of the holo-screens that was playing the local news. Yang only caught the tail end of what the reporter was saying, but Ruby nodded in confirmation as the display changed to a mugshot of an orange haired man in a white suit.

"Yeah, that's him."

Ah, the robbery? Yang was surprised there was still coverage on it a week after the event, but if this Roman guy still hadn't been caught, it made sense. Ruby had told Jaune all about what happened – including Ruby's one-on-one meeting with the headmaster.

The three stood in contemplative silence as the others students chattered around them.

Just as the newscaster was about to cover something to do with a faunus rights rally, a chime sounded loudly throughout the airship. The holoscreen was replaced with a full-body hologram of a woman. The woman in question didn't look a day over thirty-five, but she held herself with an air of confidence befitting someone with a lot of experience.

Yang wasn't sure why, but she felt nervous just looking at her.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." The hologram spoke.

"Who's that?" Ruby and Yang asked in unison.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, deputy-headmistress of Beacon Academy, and professor in charge of combat training."

 _Okay, so that's why she makes me nervous._

"You are among an elite few who have been selected – whether through various Hunter programs around Remnant or our very own entrance exams – to attend Beacon Academy and advance your training. You are here to become fully-fledged Huntsmen and Huntresses, and protect the peace so many have fought for. You have all put in a lot of effort to reach this point, and now, it is up to us to provide you with the tools you will need to better understand our world, as well as protect it."

The hologram quickly faded, and the previously opaque windows turned translucent – allowing the airship's passengers to see outside for the first time since take-off. There were gasps of amazement as people rushed to take in the gorgeous view, Ruby among them.

Yang was about to follow her sister, when she noticed one thing: Jaune hadn't budged.

She walked over, nudging him in the arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

The boy took a deep breath, before responding quietly, "Not really. But can we talk about it later?"

It wasn't exactly the answer Yang expected, nor was it the one she wanted – it felt like Jaune was trying to avoid something, but she still appreciated his honesty. "Jaune, if there's something wrong, I can help."

After being around Jaune so much, Yang knew he was considering her offer – just by his expression – but he was also considering his own words carefully. As if he knew she wouldn't like his answer.

"It's nothing wrong – nothing that we can fix... Or change. But..." It wasn't quite a smile, but Jaune looked a little better. "Like I said, I'll tell you later. We've got other things to worry about right now."

Yang hated that he was at least _partially_ right. "Okay... so long as 'later' actually means _soon_."

Jaune laughed a little uneasily. _He hadn't been planning on telling me_.

With a sigh, Yang grabbed Jaune's wrist, dragging him over to the window where Ruby stood.

"Look, there's Signal!"

After a few minutes of pointing out landmarks of Vale – Patch had quickly dipped over the horizon – Yang noticed people starting to gravitate towards the doors of the airship, likely wanting to get out and see Beacon in person. Jaune noticed this as well, and gave Ruby a quick tug on her sleeve. "We're here."

Ruby turned, a smile spreading across her face. Yang watched as her sister took a deep breath, before striding forwards. Jaune gave Yang a smile and a shake of his head.

Whatever problems they had, now wasn't the time for them.

The sounds and vibrations typical of such a large airship's docking occurred, and the door slid open. The students poured out, some jogging lightly, others walking. Yang continued to follow Ruby, as did Jaune.

"Wow." Yang was forced to comment, stepping out into the sunlight. "I thought it looked amazing from down in Vale, but this...?"

"Yeah." Jaune shared in Yang's amazement. "But don't you think it's a bit... much?"

The blonde brawler glanced around, taking in the sights. The tall towering pillars, the pleasant arches. The stone beneath Ruby's feet, the girl having skipped ahead while gushing about someone else's weapon.

It wasn't as if Yang didn't understand where Jaune was coming from; it could have just as easily been a dirt path beneath them. But there was one thing the boy was forgetting...

Yang turned to Jaune, looking him up and down. He was dressed in his new clothes, but right now they didn't look like the _fit_ the boy who was wearing them. She stepped forwards, before tugging on the collar of the boy's jacket, which had folded over at some point. Managing to fix it quickly, Yang reminded the boy. " _Appearances,_ right Jaune? As one of the few Academies in the world, Beacon has to look impressive. Just as _Hunters_ need to look impressive."

"Yeah, yeah. I haven't forgotten." Jaune stood straight, hands clasped behind his back, head held high – much like a certain General they'd met in Atlas. "Miss Xiao Long." Jaune called her in a much deeper, albeit noticeably forced tone.

Yang attempted – honestly attempted – to suppress her laughter.

It didn't work.

As her laughter died down, Yang realized Jaune hadn't been laughing with her; instead, he was still standing the same way, but now he had one eyebrow quirked up, in the universal 'something wrong?' expression. One that would have looked right at home on General Ironwood's face.

This time, Jaune laughed with her, both ignoring the odd stares they got from other students passing them by.

"You look so serious that I _can'_ t take it seriously!" Yang joked, clutching her sides as she drew herself back up to full height. Once both teens calmed from their most recent laughing fit, Yang had to ask: "Okay, so if you're Ironwood, then who am I?"

Jaune brought a hand to his chin, humming in thought. "That's a tough one... I don't think I know enough Huntresses to answer that. I guess... you're a lot like your dad?"

Yang was kinda surprised by his answer. To have Jaune say she was like her dad... Yang considered that high-praise.

"Well, you make horrible puns like he does, so..."

That earned Jaune a punch in the arm – just a light one though. "Shut up, you love my puns."

"I may or may not have appreciated a couple of them, yes." Jaune confirmed. "Besides, I could have said you were like Goodwitch."

"The hologram?" Yang shook her head chuckling, turning to look at Ruby with her cloak billowing out behind her as she moved, far out of earshot.

"What about Ruby?" Jaune asked, just as Yang's thoughts wandered the same route.

For Yang there was only one answer: _Summer_.

Ruby might not have been old enough to remember her mother all that well, but Yang _was._ Summer might not have been Yang's birth mother, but... she'd always been _mom_ to her, hadn't she?

Sometimes, they looked so alike... it was _painful_.

"She reminds me of mom." Yang confirmed. It didn't matter what she'd learned over the years; who her birth mother _really_ was. She'd decided it didn't matter long ago.

Jaune nodded somberly in understanding. "She reminds me of... well, not _reminding_ me, exactly... But she seems a lot like my aunt _._ At least, from what I've read."

"Yeah?" Yang had never really heard much about Jaune's aunt – aside from what he'd told her in Nyurse. "You'll have to tell me more about her one day."

"Mhmm." Jaune grunted. It seemed like her friend still didn't really want to talk about his relative – or maybe he figured it just wasn't really the place. There was a short pause, before Jaune stated: "I think we should get moving."

 _That was one hell of a mood change_.

"Sure. I'll... get Ruby I guess?"

Yang's sister – her weapon-crazed, extremely excitable little sister – was mere inches from caressing a girl's chain-axe.

"You do what you have to do, Yang. She's _your_ sister after..." Jaune trailed off.

Yang frowned. "What?"

A few seconds passed before Jaune pointed at someone. Yang turned, not recognizing the girl Jaune indicated.

"Does that girl have a _shotel_? With a _Dust_ edge?"

Yang drove her face into her hands, " _Oh no_."

* * *

"So you're telling me..." Yang made arbitrary hand movements as she tried to reason through what Jaune just said, "Professor Ozpin didn't sound weird to you at all? That entire speech was just... _normal_?"

Jaune again shook his head. Ozpin's speech... was just a _speech._ They were all at Beacon to become Huntsmen and Huntresses – the headmaster just made it clear exactly what that entailed. "He didn't seem any different from the first time I met him. You remember, after Nyurse?"

"Maybe he was just being professional?" Ruby interjected, hoping to contribute to their discussion, "The headmaster acted different when I met him in person too."

The blonde boy decided not to comment on that, not knowing much about Ozpin's meeting with Ruby, aside from that it happened the _same night_ Jaune met the man at Beacon. The blonde was hoping he could talk with the headmaster soon, finding out exactly what the man had learned... and whether moving Ruby two years ahead was a result of seeing a demonstration if her skills, or if it was her being 'silver-eyed' like his relatives.

Wait, if Ruby was silver-eyed... did that mean they were related somehow? Like, distantly?

"Hmm... well, he could have been a little more... I dunno, _welcoming_?" Yang suggested.

Were he and _Yang_ related? What would it have been like, having seven _Yangs_ as sisters growing up?

Jaune shuddered briefly.

The three future students of Beacon had just finished touring the halls of the academy. They decided not to go on the tour guided by Miss Goodwitch – mostly at Yang's recommendation, though Jaune was unsure why. Personally, Jaune would have preferred to be with the large group of new students.

There wouldn't have been nearly as many stares, had the three of them stuck with the others.

Jaune was sure that Yang and Ruby didn't notice the older students watching as they walked amongst them throughout the day – if the two had indeed noticed, the sisters were good at hiding it.

All of the senior students had been dressed in Beacon's uniform, while the three new arrivals were not.

They stuck out like a sore thumb – _sore thumbs_?

However, it wasn't as if the stares they received were _negative,_ exactly; the three of them were being... examined – picked apart by those their elder. Though he was sure he was just imagining it, Jaune thought he noticed a couple appreciative nods accompanying those looks as well.

Jaune even saw one girl take a picture or two. He wasn't going to stop her, and neither did Yang.

With night slowly crawling in, the three teens were beginning to make their way to the ballroom, where everyone would spend the night. Jaune was certain that was where they'd find their fellow newbies there – and maybe even a fourth teammate.

Jaune wasn't stupid. His father, his mother, his aunt; they'd all been on four-member teams… they'd all gone to Beacon. _He_ was going to Beacon. That meant he'd also be on a four-member team. Jaune wasn't sure how teams were made… but if he had a choice, he'd want Yang and Ruby at his side.

But... who else?

From what Jaune could remember, Ren and Nora – from Nyurse – were trying to get into Beacon... but he couldn't see those two separating at all.

Blake, from the bookstore? Ozpin said she got in, but Jaune hadn't seen her yet.

The threesome entered the ballroom, Jaune's thoughts still roaming as they made their way to an area void of sleeping bags or bedrolls. Tons of people were already dressed in their nightclothes – and while there was no clear ruling on who could sleep where, it seemed as if the girls stuck with the girls, and the guys stuck with the guys.

Of course, there were exceptions to that: close friends seemed to stick together, small groups making a boundary between the two genders.

"So, we all get changed and meet up back here?" Yang suggested.

And it seemed like Jaune's group would be adding to that mass.

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, sure. See you guys in a minute."

The boy turned, making his way through the scattered array of sleeping bags. Somehow, even though everyone was in perfect rows, he still had to step over people – some already fast asleep, some just relaxing.

Upon arriving in the men's room – a 'safe' area for changing – Jaune began to undress. It took him roughly a minute to get all his armor off, but after that it was quite simple. The moment he was down to nothing but his briefs however, someone behind him cleared their throat. Jaune turned, sizing up the other teen in the washroom who'd disturbed him.

"Can I help you?" Jaune asked simply, not recognizing the guy wearing a white muscle-shirt.

The taller teen responded quickly. "Not really. I was just curious... how'd you get that scar?"

"Ah." Jaune glanced at the lighter skin on his bicep. As long as he didn't say anything about how _exactly_ he got it... "Gunshot wound. Didn't hurt nearly as much as it looks."

"I see."

The two stared at each other for a good few seconds.

Jaune coughed lightly. "Is that... uh, everything?"

"Yeah, sorry to disturb you." The teen turned and left the room, making ' _shooing_ ' motions with his hands as he made his way out. Or maybe he was just waving his hands, drying them.

 _Weird_.

Jaune pulled on his onesie – the only acceptable sleepwear to him – before stuffing his normal clothes in the space left by his pajamas. Pulling the zipper all the way up to his neck and making sure his feet were all the way at the bottom, Jaune was fully equipped... to sleep.

As Jaune pushed his way back into the ballroom, he had a thought:

 _What if I had designed a full body-suit as a weapon? It'd be like a onesie... but more badass..._

With a huge grin on his face, Jaune marched back towards where he was to meet Yang and Ruby.

No one approached him.

* * *

"It's good to see you made it into Beacon, Blake!"

The cat faunus half-forced a smile. She'd been... well... trying to avoid _anyone_ until the day of initiation – staying near the back of the group during to tour, finding a nice corner to read in... Obviously, she'd have to associate with people eventually, but Blake wanted to do that of her own volition.

She should have known someone would approach her at some point or another – it was just her luck. At least, in this case, it was someone she 'knew'.

"Thanks Yang." Blake responded, hoping she remembered the girl's name just fine. With no adverse reaction, Blake relaxed a little, switching her focus from the blonde girl to her sister. "It's Ruby, right?"

The shorter girl nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Yep. Nice to meet you, Blake."

Blake narrowed her eyes in thought, picking at her own brain. "Wait, you're Yang's _younger_ sister, right?" At least, that's what the bookworm recalled: something about Yang not wanting her sister knowing about _Ninjas of Love_ until she was older.

"Well... uhh..." Ruby trailled off, fidgeting a little before speaking up. "Yeah, I'm her younger sister."

Blake raised an eyebrow at that. Ruby simply responded with a over-energetic smile.

"Okay then." _Everyone has their secrets_.

Blake flipped to the next page in her book – before flipping back, realizing she wasn't done with the previous page yet.

She was distracted.

Blake _didn_ 't hate either of the girls in front of her. But she had to admit, they were currently somewhat of a nuisance – in a very specific way. Blake wanted to read... and the two sisters were just... _standing_ there. Even as she moved on to the next sentence... they were still just... _there_. Eventually, the two sisters started chatting with each other. About what, Blake didn't really care. She just really wished they were chatting somewhere... else.

 _Just let me read in peace... please... someone._

"Oh, there you guys are." One of Blake's ears twitched. With a slight panic, Blake looked up at the two girls in front of her.

 _Please tell me they didn't notice_.

They hadn't. Ruby was the first to regard the newcomer. "Oh, hey Jaune." Blake glanced up from her book, and then _immediately_ returned to reading.

 _Please tell me he isn't seriously wearing a..._

Blake looked up again, her eyes lingering on Jaune's blue-clad form for but a moment, before her vision was blocked by the other nearby blonde.

The cat faunus was sure that everyone in the room with a healthy appreciation for the female body would have _killed_ to be sitting where she was right now.

" _Take it off_." Blake heard. " _Now_."

 _Oh my._ Blake's breath hitched in her throat.

"Uhh... Yang?"

"I said... _Take._ _It_. _Off_."

Blake was in a very awkward situation. She wasn't sure what exactly was going on, and she had no clue how to react. From the expression on Ruby's face, the girl didn't have any foreknowledge about what was happening either. The air around them felt as if it was crackling _..._ burning with either anger... or _sexual tension_.

 _Or both_ , Blake reasoned.

Ruby's bright eyes met Blake's. The younger girl shook her head slowly, a fixed, fearful smile on her face.

Blake took that as a hint, and began to slowly shuffle sideways, away from the two blondes.

There was a agonizing pause, before Jaune spoke.

"No?" the boy signed his death sentence orally.

"Take it off!" Yang yelled, stepping closer to Jaune, trying to get a hand on him. Jaune dodged, backing away as quick as he could.

At this point, Blake realized there was going to be a _big_ problem; the entire ballroom was silent, staring at the two blondes. People were _waking up_. It was guaranteed everyone had a good – yet probably wrong – idea of what was happening.

" _No_?!"

...

"Someone wanna get a teacher?" Blake thought she heard.

"Nah." Was the response.

...

With a growl, Yang jumped forwards – allowing Blake a line of sight towards Jaune's face, although only for a brief moment.

The boy looked scared – genuinely _scared –_ as he dove to the right of Yang. The girl tried to clip him with one of her legs, but she missed by an inch. As she turned, Blake caught sight of Yang's eyes.

They were _red_?

"Yeah, uh... Yang's angry." Ruby stated whilst taking a seat next to Blake, hoping that would be enough of an explanation. "So, what's your book about?"

"I told you I would _burn_ it Jaune! I _warned_ you!"

 _Who the hell did I make friends with?_

* * *

 ** _Well. That was a thing._**

 **A lot of mood (and PoV) changes in this chapter. Jaune and Yang can't decide what they're feeling, apparently... (and I can't either.) A lot of stuff here is supposed to be mostly comedic, but I want to let the kids have some fun before we get back to the nitty-gritty-plotty stuff.**

 **Some people might notice my style has been a little... inconsistent(?) recently. I blame it on the distance between chapters, personally - for anyone curious there was a good three weeks between finishing Ch.20 and starting this chapter. Busy busy busy.**

 **Let me know if you have any comments or concerns, through either PM or review.**

 **Oh! There should be another chapter of JaFP sometime next week. Keep your eyes peeled.**

 **Cya!**


	22. Longshot

**Hey guys! This should have been done yesterday, but the flu kept me down and out once I got home from class. Luckily, I actually managed to drag my ass out of bed and over to my desktop, so you don't have to wait any longer.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Miss Goodwitch, I'm telling you that it _isn't_ what it looked like!"

Jaune sighed for the umpteenth time. Yang had been _attempting_ – that's the key word – to reason with the blonde professor who'd been in charge of 'guarding' them the previous night.

The entire night was an _experience_ in itself. After his and Yang's 'altercation' ended with his onesie still intact, yet _off,_ Professor Goodwitch separated the two... _somehow_ , before... _somehow_ floating them right out of the ballroom, and into the dormitories. Once there, they were thrown into a room, and for the most part, left to their own devices.

...In the way that one would be 'left to their own devices' while being watched over by the deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy.

Yes, Yang went to bed immediately. No funny business. Jaune as well, but for a different reason:

He'd met the older blonde before, albeit briefly, but Jaune knew Glynda Goodwitch was _also_ a member of Ozpin's group. As was evident by the black scroll she held as she walked, and how her contact information was on Jaune's own black scroll.

...Weren't they supposed to keep the black scrolls hidden? Or was it just him? Regardless, he didn't want to make a bad impression – if he hadn't failed already.

" _And_ , Miss Xiao Long, what exactly do you think it looked like to me?"

Yang's nervous expression morphed into one of panic. No doubt the girl hadn't quite been ready to explain _exactly_ what she thought Miss Goodwitch had interpreted last night's actions as.

"H-how did you put it?" Yang started with a stutter brought upon by a lack of confidence – something Jaune knew Yang typically never had in short supply, " _An absolute disgrace, and conduct that would otherwise have you kicked out of the academy_?"

"And you are here telling me that was not the case?"

Yang shook her head vigorously, despite the deputy headmistress _not_ looking at her. "Me and Jaune are friends… and what happened... it's sort of an 'in-joke' between us."

"Chasing him around and 'threatening' to rip his clothes off is an 'in-joke'?" The professor stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning to face the two trailing teens with a look of disbelief. Her gaze settled on Jaune himself, and instantly, the boy felt smaller; _insignificant_. "Mr. Arc, what do you have to add to this discussion?"

Jaune gulped, "Uhh… It _is_ an 'in-joke', in a way. But I do understand that our conduct last night was inappropriate."

"Indeed it was." Goodwitch confirmed, before sighing. "In an odd way, I suppose there is a lesson for the two of you to learn from all of this – and you're lucky that you're learning something before the two of you are even official students."

Yang looked as if she was about to open her mouth to speak, but Jaune beat the blonde to it. "What would that be, Miss Goodwitch?"

The huntress turned. "I'll 'lecture' as we walk. We don't want to be late for your initiation, now do we?"

Without so much as another word, the professor started moving, Jaune and Yang following in stride.

"As Huntsmen and Huntresses, we are symbols of peace and prosperity. Order, security... Of course, many people look to us in their times of need. Our presence is reassuring to those in distress, and the more confident we look, the safer the citizens feel."

Jaune nodded along, remembering Sherry saying something similar back in Nyurse. "But what does that have to do with what happened last night?"

"I'm getting to that, Mr. Arc. Obviously, appearances can be ' _deceiving_ ', as one would put it. Hunters, as protectors of the people, need hide their fear in the face of great danger. But, that isn't all Huntsmen and Huntresses have to worry about; they also need to worry about how their own actions are perceived

"For example, if you saw a man holding another at gunpoint, what would you do reactively?"

Yang answered nearly instantly. "I'd save the man at gunpoint, why?" Jaune nodded his agreement.

"You'd be dead." Goodwitch mentioned casually. Yang blanched. "Well, maybe not. Aura is a great boon, after all. You see, what if the man at gunpoint was actually a murderer, and the one with the gun had temporarily disarmed the criminal, and was waiting for police to arrive. A Hunter must learn to ' _look before they leap_ ', so to speak."

"How so?" Jaune asked, understanding the reasoning, but not quite seeing the professor's point, or how it related to the current situation.

"You need to always consider the ramifications of your actions." The trio rounded a corner. "If civilians see a Huntsman holding what appears to be a civilian at gunpoint, what do those civilians think? They think a Huntsman is abusing his power. It's very similar to some odd cases in the Faunus Rights Revolution." Goodwitch adjusted her glasses. "As a quick history lesson, some revolutionaries dressed up as civilians were... executed, and it sparked the blaze that nearly tore the kingdoms apart a second time in recent history."

The professor sighed. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is that your actions – here or in the field – whatever their intent, will reflect on all Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Beacon Academy as a whole; as how your actions last night, whatever they were _supposed_ to be-" Yang chuckled nervously "-were no doubt perceived by students in the same way _I_ perceived them. However, like with civilians, I think you'll have a hard time explaining to your fellow initiates that they saw something completely different last night."

Neither Jaune nor Yang had any real response to that, instead walking in relatively contemplative silence.

The deputy headmistress continued to lead the two teens towards the locker room – Jaune remembering the route from when he, Ruby, and Yang had been wandering around the other day. Goodwitch paused before the door, gesturing for the two initiates to proceed, only offering some parting words of advice:

"Remember: for some, perception is reality. Now, do what you need to prepare, and then head to the cliffs for initiation."

…

"Well, that was _informative_." Yang commented playfully when Goodwitch was out of earshot.

" _Shut up_ ," Jaune responded, though his tone wasn't nearly as bitter as it could have been. "None of this would have happened if you just left me and my onesie alone."

Yang seemed to ignore Jaune's ire. "Whatever. Anyways, you think anyone else is up yet?" the blonde brawler asked, referring to the closed door of the locker room.

"I don't know... Goodwitch really made it sound like they'd be in there, waiting and ready to pounce on us, but… it's still pretty early." Jaune noted, motioning towards the rising sun, barely visible out a nearby window. "I _really_ don't feel like dealing with people right now."

Yang sighed, nodding. "Yeah, same here."

Jaune approached the door, easing it open whilst peeking inside. The locker room was mostly empty, the only ones inside being a few early risers.

 _Wait, what if we're actually late_? Goodwitch actually hadn't said anything regarding _when._

"Let's go." Jaune recommended hastily.

Yang nodded her agreement, but her face betrayed the motion slightly. "Sure, but what about Ruby?"

The boy paused, only having eased the door open a little more. While Jaune hadn't necessarily _forgotten_ about Ruby, he had to admit she'd slipped his mind slightly. "Uhh... She'll be fine, won't she?"

Yang hesitated before she replied. "She _will,_ but I can't help but worry. She should be with Blake, so I mean, she's in reasonably good hands."

 _That's odd_. Jaune pushed his way into the locker room, quiet as a mouse. "You must like her."

"Who, Blake?" Yang shrugged. "I mean, she's alright."

"Because she likes smut, right?"

"That isn't I- ...Yeah, actually... that's about it. Maybe she can be our fourth member?" Yang suggested.

Jaune nodded, moving in the direction of the lockers they picked out the other day. They'd been in the locker room _way_ after the tour, so their selection was limited to an isolated corner in the far back of the room.

"It's a little late to be thinking of that though, don't you think?" Jaune mentioned, scanning the numbers of the lockers as he walked by. "Might as well just wing it. After all, we don't really know how teams are selected."

"That's true… Jaune you just walked past _your_ locker."

The blond paused, before backpedalling a bit. "Did I?"

"Yeah." Yang smiled triumphantly. "Glad I noticed, we'd be looking for a while if I hadn't."

" _All hail Yang, 'Queen of Finding Lockers'_." Jaune praised sardonically, getting himself a slug in the arm. He rubbed the spot gingerly, smiling at his friend. The blond quickly tapped in his code.

The locker swung open, and Yang almost choked a little, before laughing.

"What?"

" _All hail Jaune, 'King of Cluttered Lockers'_."

Jaune looked inside his own locker. It wasn't _that_ bad, was it? Sure, it might have been _full_ , but it had everything he could ever need. And what did Yang mean by cluttered? All his Dust and cartridges were neatly organized, even if it didn't look like it at first glance.

" _Whatever_. You go get your stuff, I'll be a minute or so."

"Alright. I'll wait at my locker. Make sure you don't get lost."

Jaune shook his head as Yang left, before starting to get armored up.

After adjusting the last strap's tightness for his own comfort, Jaune quickly retrieved his weapons, securing them in their rightful places: Aquila over his shoulder, Crocea Mors and its sheath parallel to his left forearm, and Horizon in its holster in the small of his back. He grabbed his knife – not actually being allowed to keep it under his pillow until they were in their dorms – and attached it along his belt.

" _Never hurts to be prepared._ " the boy whispered to himself. With that in mind, Jaune also grabbed an assortment of Dust rounds, and more than a fair share of magazines for Horizon's pistol component. That all went into the pouch on his thigh, Jaune making sure he knew where each round was, so he didn't have to double check before he fired.

"That's a lot of Dust there, _mister_!"

If Jaune's ears could actually perk up, they _would_ have. That was a voice he hadn't heard in a decently long time.

The blond turned, confirming his initial suspicion. "Nora? And Ren?"

"In the flesh." The boy who was also present stated, brushing a strand of black hair back out of his eyes.

"It's good to see the two of you!" Jaune smiled. "How have you been-"

Jaune's remaining breath was taken out of him as Nora engulfed him in a _massive_ hug. "We thought you were being kicked out!"

While the blond was gasping for air, his face also contorted into one of confusion. Jaune managed to breath in enough to form a couple words. " _Kicked out_?"

"Yeah, after Goodwitch took you guys away. For… well…" Ren trailed off.

 _Oh. They saw that, huh?_ But, perhaps countering Goodwitch's point, it didn't really seem like the duo's opinion of Jaune had really changed. Ren still looked as impassive as ever, and the fact that Nora was _nearly crushing him to death_ was evidence enough that her opinion didn't seem to change _at all_.

After a few more agonizing seconds, Nora finally released Jaune from her embrace. As a result, the boy was actually able to form longer, proper sentences. "No, we're fine. Yang and I were just separated from the main group and... forced to sleep in one of the empty dorm rooms with Goodwitch keeping watch."

Nora winced. " _Ouch_."

"Ah, it wasn't so bad." Jaune admitted. "I actually got a decent sleep. Yang's grabbing her gear right now."

"So!" Nora practically ignored Jaune's previous comment. "Wanna team up?"

It was Jaune's turn to wince. "I'd love to, but Yang's sister Ruby is here at Beacon too. We were hoping that we could get one more person to be the fourth member, and I'm thinking you two are going to try to be together no matter what, right?"

"That's the idea." Nora stated, Ren nodding along, before continuing. "Me and Ren have a _strategy_ , so we'll be on the same team for sure. Well, even if we can't be teammates, at least we'll be good friends, right?"

Jaune smiled. "Of course."

As soon as Jaune finished speaking, the intercom sparked to life. "Attention, would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year-"

"Well, I guess that's our cue." Nora noted all too cheerily. "See you at the cliffs Jaune!"

"Yeah, see you – I gotta go get Yang."

Ren nodded, before the cuff of one of his sleeves was grabbed by the energetic girl, and he was dragged away.

Jaune was beginning to think that having Nora as a teammate would be _way_ too taxing. The blond closed his locker, making sure it locked up properly, before heading off to find Yang.

… _What was her locker number again_?

* * *

"You okay Ruby? You're _shivering_."

"I know Blake, but I can't help but be worried." The short, red clad girl was _indeed_ shaking, as Blake had stated, but the faunus could hardly believe it. "I'm not nervous… just _worried_."

In her own little way, Blake was a little concerned herself, looking out at the vast expanse of forest before her; not concerned about initiation at all, but more worried about the people she now considered friends. Yang and Jaune had seemed like decent people – as far as most humans went – but they'd yet to show up. They weren't actually 'late', but according to Ruby, they should have been here already.

"If they'd been expelled, kicked out, whatever, don't you think you'd have been told? Or at least, been messaged by one of them?" Blake suggested.

"Yeah, but getting nothing is _worse_!" Ruby gripped her weapon tightly – Blake _still_ not having a clue what it was. At least, it seemed to provide _some_ comfort for the girl.

The cat faunus shook her head slightly. She'd spent almost all morning with the younger girl, and if anyone was the personification of social anxiety, it was Ruby. Blake was sure the black and red haired girl had spent more time talking with her weapon than she did with people... at least, throughout the morning.

Finally, after about a minute more of waiting and incessant chatter from the girl on the platform at her side, Blake caught sight of salvation: two blondes, at the very end of the row.

"Hey Ruby, there they are. You see them?"

Ruby snapped out of her trance, glancing right and left – not even _searching_ along the platforms. "What, where?"

"There." Blake pointed. "At the very end of the line."

" _Yes_ , I see them. They're okay!" Ruby squealed. seeming like a completely different person, almost hopping in place. If they weren't given explicit instructions to not step off the platforms, Blake was sure she'd have run all the way over to see them.

"Now you can stop worrying, hey?"

Blake got a spirited nod in response, Ruby settling into a combat stance. It was then, when it began to unfold, that Blake finally realized exactly what Ruby's weapon _really_ was.

 _Holy_ … _how the hell does she use that thing_?

"What are we waiting for? Let's go already!"

Blake heard a scoff from her right. "We're waiting for the rest of the initiates, _obviously_. Just because those… _deviants_ showed up, doesn't mean there isn't anyone else. Honestly, after last night, I wonder about this school's _integrity_. If they're allowed to stay after what they'd done..."

Blake had to suppress the toxic expression that almost rose to her face. The _Schnee Heiress_ was the source of those bitter words, standing on her platform with a haughty pose.

"That was rude." Blake stated flatly, glaring at the girl out of the corner of her eye, before she mentally cringed.

 _Why did you say that! You're supposed to be low-profile!_

The speed with which the heiress turned her head would have given anyone else whiplash, Blake was sure. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, _excuse you_!"

Blake was infinitely glad that the words had not been her own, but instead, she feared that the words came from Ruby. "That's my sister you're talking about!"

 _Oh no, please play nice. Please let this be the end of it_... _What have I done_?

"It doesn't matter if she's your sister, someone who has no impulse control shouldn't be a Huntress. It's as simple as that."

" _Well_ , I don't know who you _think_ you are, but my sister-"

" _Ahem_."

Ruby was cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat. That someone _just_ so happened to be the headmaster of Beacon Academy. He gave both the Schnee and Ruby a single glance, and they both 'calmed' under his gaze.

"Now then… it seems like everyone is present; we will begin."

* * *

"…the person you first make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Somewhere down the line, Jaune heard Nora say _something_ , but he was too far to actually hear it.

 _Well,_ _there goes our original plan_. Jaune thought to himself, bouncing on the balls of his feet. The boy shared a look with the blonde on his right, who gave him a _very_ obvious wink.

 _Okay, so Yang has a new plan. Good_.

… Jaune didn't even care that he actually considered Yang having a plan to be 'good'.

"After you have partnered up, you are to make your way to the northernmost part of the Emerald Forest, here behind me." Ozpin gestured to the open cliff, below which lay the forest. "Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you _will die_."

A couple of the other initiates seemed rather nervous, but Jaune shrugged it off. After Atlas, after Nyurse, after _fighting_ _Yang_ _repeatedly_ and even sparing with Qrow?

He wasn't concerned. Of course, that was probably going to bite him in the ass later, but whatever.

"You will be monitored and graded while you traverse the forest, but keep in mind that our instructors will _not_ intervene. Along with your partner, your objective is to reach a secluded temple deep in the forest, and retrieve an artifact. You will guard said artifact, and return with it to this cliff. Once you have done so, your initiation will be considered _complete_. Are there any questions before we begin?"

No one's hand shot up; no one _spoke_ up. Ozpin nodded, before he started tapping at his scroll. There was a momentary pause, and then the first student was launched.

Jaune turned to Yang, the girl mirroring him. "What's the plan?"

Yang pointed to him with finger guns. " _You…_ " She emphasized the word strongly. "Just stay in the air for as long as you can. I'll take care of everything else."

Jaune sighed. "That's not much of a plan, _Yang_."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The boy shook his head, pulling Aquila from his back, before loading a very specific magazine into it. "You do you, Yang. _You do you_." Jaune settled into a stance, prepared for his platform to go up at any time.

… he wouldn't put it past Ozpin – or whoever set these platforms up – to have them launch at random after launching in order for the first few initiates.

Nora went up with a laugh – something Jaune _definitely_ expected. Ren went shortly after. Then Ruby. Then Blake. And then… Jaune's heart got caught in his throat.

 _What the hell is Weiss Schnee doing here?_

Although she was easily the hardest to spot against the cloudy sky, Jaune could recognize the Schnee heiress from a mile away. It had been _way_ too long since he'd seen her… in person, at least. She'd been all over the CCTS websites, newspapers, and whatnot – mostly after her charity concert – but not a _lick_ about her going to Beacon.

 _Why is she here, and not in Atlas_?

Jaune shook his head, clearing the thought from his head. While it would be certainly nice to have her as a fourth member of their team, Jaune supposed it was all left to chance at this point. Unless…

"I really hope you have something Yang."

"I do. It's a longshot, b _ut…_ Just let me make sure." Yang raised her hand, gaining the attention of Ozpin, as well as Miss Goodwitch, who'd been standing at the headmaster's side.

"Miss Xiao Long. A question?"

Yang smiled a ' _definitely not innocent_ ' smile at the headmaster. "Yeah, but it's just about the rules you mentioned. You said something about making eye contact _after_ landing, right? Could you clarify that?"

The headmaster took a sip from his coffee cup, some girl getting launched with a squeal – totally unprepared. Miss Goodwitch responded in the headmaster's place. "Yes. Eye contact before launch, as well as while in midair, does _not_ count. Once both initiates are on the ground, _then_ they may form partners."

"Okay, but we can still do other things before we land, right?"

Ozpin smiled, being the one to respond this time: "There's no rule against it, Miss Xiao Long. So long as you do not step off your platform."

Jaune looked between the headmaster, Yang, and Miss Goodwitch. Safe to say, the boy was confused as all hell.

The boy who'd been on Jaune's left launched... meaning he was next.

"Remember Jaune." Yang half whispered. "Stay in the air for as long as you can."

The blond frowned, bending his knees in anticipation of his own launch. " _Okay_?"

With a force that surprised Jaune, he was sent flying. It was an awkward launch, to say the least, and the wind whipping past his ears was slightly disorientating. Luckily, Jaune had a good feeling for where was his body was with respect to the ground.

The blond angled Aquila so that it was pointing slightly below him and to the front. He pulled the trigger, and the rifle-spear bucked once.

No projectile shot out – but Jaune's momentum was slowed. He'd only actually tested the rounds once, but having them work properly in a real life situation was something else.

The rounds he'd designed, of course, had _no_ projectile - just fine-ground gravity Dust, unlike the gravity rounds one could buy in a store anywhere. His creation's only purpose was to apply a force backwards on the spear. In this case, the force was used to slow his descent.

Now that Jaune wasn't going so fast, he pushed a slight amount of Aura through his left arm, extending Crocea Mors' sheath into its shield form, the drag further slowing his descent. If he had just opened his shield initially, the force _might_ have ripped his arm off, if how the limb was feeling now was any indication

Jaune 'fired' twice more downwards – two more rounds available. The force kept him airborne a little longer, but Yang had better do whatever she was going to do, and fast.

Jauen fired again. One more round. The treetops were getting closer, but he was still in open air. As much as Jaune wanted to fire again, he needed to keep his last round for just before impact. He wasn't _nearly_ skilled enough to be able to reload with one hand while using his shield as an impromptu parachute, if it was even possible.

Then, Jaune heard the familiar sound of Ember Celica firing off rounds. The repetitive, synchronized shots kept sounding, and they got closer and closer.

"Oh _no_." Jaune groaned. He just realized what Yang's plan had been – _was_ – whatever.

Two more shots fired, much closer than they'd been before, before Jaune got tackled midair.

"Hey Jaune!" Yang yelled, though the boy could hardly hear her through the rapid beating of his own heart and the wind ripping past his face. The girl had her arms wrapped tightly around his midsection, but Jaune was still able to bring his shield to bear as they began to hit the tops of trees.

"What are you doing, you _crazy_ -"

"We're going to be partners!"

* * *

Ruby crouched, keeping her center of gravity low as she balanced on the branch. There were a couple of Beowolves below – nothing the girl couldn't handle on her own – but Ruby wanted to find a partner _before_ she began waging a one-sided war on the local Grimm population.

If possible, priority number one was finding Jaune or Yang. Or both... there was no doubt in the young girl's mind that Jaune had hatched some sort of plan before launch. With any luck, the two blondes were already partners.

She'd been so relieved to know that they were both okay – now she just needed to get to them.

Of course, in a way, Jaune and Yang being partners was bad for Ruby; it meant she had to find her _own_ partner, and then by another stroke of luck end up on the same team as her older sister and Jaune.

But who else was there? Blake was certainly Ruby's first option: she was a friend of both Jaune and Yang, and she certainly seemed nice enough.

Aside from her... Ruby hadn't really met anyone else, had she? Well... anyone she _liked._

" _That stupid_... _grrr._ "

The cape-wearing girl wanted so badly to fall from the treetops and take her frustrations out on the unsuspecting prey below, but instead, she just remained still, waiting. The Beowolves still hadn't noticed her, so there were two outcomes: One, the Beowolves would eventually lead her back to their pack, who'd likely end up fighting someone. Or two, the Beowolves would find someone on their own.

Ruby didn't even consider the Beowolves finding _her_ to be an outcome; she'd fought so many of them that she knew exactly how they acted – and how they _reacted_.

Obviously, Ruby heavily preferred the second outcome... but she wouldn't mind the first one either.

After about a minute, the Beowolves suddenly turned their heads synchronously, in the direction of what sounded like gunfire. The two wolf-like Grimm began to move; Ruby let them get a little bit of a head start, before quickly descending, using Crescent Rose's blade to act as a brake in the side of the tree.

Ruby stalked forward, following the trail of bent twigs and disturbed dirt. After about a minute in pursuit, Ruby had to remain completely still, as she'd actually caught up to the Beowolves.

Eventually, the Beowolves moved forwards, entering a clearing. Ruby decided she'd settle down at the edge of the vegetation, laying on her front. The girl sighted down Crescent Rose's scope, her weapon in it's sniper form.

 _'Now remember, Ruby, the key to being a good sniper is to always use both of your eyes_. _'_ Qrow's words had stuck with her, and she'd always held fast to them. _'I mean, I'm no sniper myself, but it sounds like the right thing to do_. _'_

Regardless of her Uncle's lack of experience, his advice _had_ been good. And Ruby took it literally.

Sure, it had been a little disorienting at first, but being able to look through a scope while keeping her other eye open had proven itself to be... _useful_. Her crosshairs stuck to the back of one of the Beowolves, and while the other wasn't visible through her scope, she was able to keep it in her vision through her 'free eye'.

It was also through her 'free eye', that Ruby caught a flash of red at the edge of her vision. Two gunshots sounded – sounding identical to the ones from earlier – and the Beowolves dropped.

Ruby sighed before standing. She supposed there'd be plenty of Grimm to fight later. Or, at least she hoped there would be.

...In a way, she'd gotten what she wanted.

The girl looked over to whoever it was that'd shot the Beowolves dead. With a gasp, she raised Crescent Rose to her shoulder, and fired.

By the time her round had pierced the skull of the Ursa, it had been too late... Considering the Grimm was already dead, the girl before it having shoved her blade deep into it's chest.

Ruby sighed yet again: she'd been worried for _nothing_. The newcomer removed her sword, the Ursa falling backwards. As Ruby jogged over to meet the other student, she watched her sword shift once into a spear, before shifting _again_ into a rifle.

Ruby had no idea who this was, but she didn't care; her weapon was cool as _heck_.

"Hey!" Ruby called out as the distance between the two girls closed.

It was obvious that the girl had already known Ruby was there – it would be hard _not_ to notice the entire chunk of the Ursa that wasn't there. The redhead turned, her ponytail bobbing with the motion.

Ruby stopped a short distance from the girl, looking into her green eyes. She was never good with introductions, but... "I'm Ruby." She proffered her hand to shake. "And you are?"

Ruby received a smile in response. "Pyrrha." The girl stated, taking Ruby's hand. "I guess I'm your partner."

* * *

 **Expected? Probably (not), but what can I say? I'm a sucker for mixed up teams and partners in other fics, so why the hell not?**

 **Don't worry, this is all planned out a lot more than it may seem. You'll see.**

 **As always, let me know what you think through a review or a PM; I'm always interested in hearing what you guys have to think.**

 **See you soon!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	23. In Ruins

**Holy hell, this one is a _doozy_. I sincerely hope you are all prepared for this. Longest chapter I've written for this story thus far, and it certainly won't be the last time it happens.**

 **We're in the big leagues now.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

Weiss grumbled, using her precious rapier to slice through some shrubbery, fighting more with the thick undergrowth than with any Grimm throughout initiation thus far. Though the heiress's landing in itself had been picture perfect, _where_ she'd landed wasn't necessarily... desirable.

And it wasn't just her landing that had annoyed her... so far, with regards to Beacon, Weiss Schnee _was not_ impressed.

The girl shook her head slightly, as if to correct herself. The academy itself had no real issues, as the facilities and the staff she'd seen seemed up to par...

It was her 'fellow' students that were so disappointing.

"I _swear_ , if I end up with either of those blondes, that girl with the bow, or that _other_ girl with the scythe as a partner, I'm going to formally request to be removed from my team." No one was around to hear Weiss' scornful words, but she kept her voice low enough just in case.

Even if she wasn't on a team, Weiss could still go to Beacon; there were plenty of students that ended up 'solo', or without teammates due to various reasons, and they still excelled. There were a ton of things the heiress would be missing out on, of course, like going on team missions, the Vytal Tournament, actually being on a _team itself_... She wouldn't be able to live in the dorms either, instead having to find residence in Vale proper – something that wouldn't be all that hard, considering her _resources_.

But those were all sacrifices Weiss was willing to make in order to retain her sanity.

With a scowl, Weiss slashed through a couple vines, letting the natural curtain drop. She took a few steps forward, her feet finding purchase on a small, beaten dirt path.

 _...Of course_!

Weiss wasn't exactly sure whether Beacon's initiation had _always_ occurred in the same forest, but it was likely that some previous initiates from other years had slowly carved a path into the earth. The heiress looked to the sky, utilizing the sun's position to orient herself.

Turning towards what had to be north, Weiss proceeded, Myrtenaster at the ready.

The girl needed to make good time, so she settled for a light jog. She'd wasted enough time trying to find her way out of the underbrush. If she could find Pyrrha - Weiss prayed the Mistrali hadn't partnered up yet – or anyone else who _wasn_ ' _t_ one of the people she wanted to avoid... she'd consider it a small victory.

Well, that and actually completing their objective. It would be awful to have found a partner, just to not make it through initiation.

So far, however, it seemed relatively simple.

As if in response to the girl's internal musings, the bushes rustled a short distance in front of her. Weiss brought Myrtenaster to eye-level, ready to strike whatever popped out of the bush. Weiss was about to call out – in case her intended target was one of the others – but it was a Grimm that entered the heiress' vision.

 _Just a lone Beowolf_...

Weiss waited a few more seconds, before charging forward with a few quick steps. The Beowolf that had yet to notice her began to turn; just before her blade pierced it's throat.

 _Easy_.

The heiress remained still next to the now dead Grimm, ready to fight back in case any other Beowolves were near, coming to avenge their fallen. She pushed her hearing to the limit, but there was nothing _to_ hear, beyond the wind whistling between the branches around her and the rasp of her blade as she removed it from the Beowolf's corpse.

There was no 'answer' from the bushes around her; the Beowolf she'd taken down must have strayed _quite_ far from it's pack. Without giving the Grimm corpse another thought, Weiss moved on.

The next few minutes were tedious – Weiss kept good pace, but every now and then she had to stop, settling into her combat stance at even the slightest indication of an ambush.

If she had a partner to watch her back, she'd make much better time – but no such luck yet regarding that front.

 _Someone to watch my back_...

A figure popped into Weiss mind: He was tall, the face of his shield scarred from excessive use. Still, despite facing insurmountable odds – even going against orders to stay and help her... they'd succeeded.

And in the end, when Weiss had wrapped his arm up... it was barely visible beneath his helmet... but he'd been _smiling_.

Just Saber.

' _Qrow, the mechs are back on our side..._ '

' _A huntsman, by the name of Qrow Branwen._ '

Weiss shook her head frantically. She needed to focus – there'd be more than enough time to do research and investigate later. Right now, however, the heiress had a job to do.

The telltale snap of a twig brought Weiss back down to Remnant faster than anything. The girl turned, dress twirling beneath her, bringing her rapier to bear on whatever had made the noise.

Amber eyes – not the deep red of a Grimm – stared back at her. After realizing she'd made eye contact, Weiss allowed herself to further examine her partner.

It took barely a second for the words to leave Weiss' mouth: "Ugh, it's _you_." There was no point in being polite to someone who'd been so openly hostile towards her earlier.

The amber eyes of the girl narrowed in response, a somewhat _victorious_ smile coming to her face before she looked to the sky. "It seems I got _really_ lucky."

Weiss tilted her head, more confused than anything. Hadn't this girl been really abrasive earlier? Why did she seem relieved? Weiss certainly didn't want her as a partner...

… Weiss began to wonder if she misinterpreted exactly what had happened on the cliffs. Maybe _she_ ' _d_ been mistaken.

"Blake," a voice called out, it's source stepping out of the underbrush. "There's no Grimm in the area."

If the boy had been there moments before, Weiss was sure she wouldn't have noticed: The green jacket he wore served as decent enough camouflage, even with the intricate designs and trim. The strand of pink-ish hair that sat among his black locks and his similarly colored eyes, however, likely made simple camouflage a lot harder.

"That's good. Did you happen to see any sign of the others, Ren?" The girl – Blake, apparently – asked.

Blake's _partner,_ Weiss realized _,_ sighed whilst scratching the back of his head. "Haven't seen anyone else yet – but the temple's close."

Weiss turned towards the boy. If she could get to the temple, then someone who showed up _without_ a partner would then become _her_ partner. "Where is it?" She demanded.

The boy and Blake seemed to share a glance, before the boy replied, motioning with a thumb over his shoulder. "I could see it from a hill behind me here. We should go."

Weiss – as well as Blake – nodded their agreement, before glaring at each other.

The heiress would deal with _her_ later.

She still needed a partner, after all.

* * *

"So, uhh... think this is it?"

Pyrrha hummed, pondering Ruby's question as she stared into the dark, foreboding maw of the cave. The champion's eyes were drawn to the nearby rock face, where a rough, primitive illustration showed a Deathstalker and humans fighting – the drawings were red, Pyrrha idly wondering if they'd been painted with blood.

"No, Ruby, I think it's actually just a Deathstalker nest." Pyrrha noted.

The caped girl that was Pyrrha's partner nodded. "Yeah, well... I mean we both know _that_. But don't you think that it's a possibility that the temple might just so happen to be _inside_ a Deathstalker nest?"

The redhead moved to open her mouth to speak a counterpoint, before realizing – as odd as it might be – Ruby's recommendation was _valid_. The temple could _very_ _well_ be inside the Deathstalker nest; their objective could be right under their noses, and someone who would disregard the obvious warning signs as exactly what they appeared to be... they would miss it completely.

Huntsmen and Huntresses braved a vast variety of dangers every day – if the two girls were afraid of a Deathstalker nest, they wouldn't make very good Huntresses, now would they?

If that was the case, there was only one word to describe whoever had set up initiation: _sadistic_.

"I'll tell you what..." Ruby turned, making her way to a nearby tree. She snapped a branch off, before getting to work. "We go down there, we check to see if there's a temple of some sort, and if there isn't we leave."

Pyrrha nodded along to herself, watching as Ruby crafted a rudimentary torch. That had been what she would have recommended anyways. "We might as well." Pyrrha confirmed. "But we need to make sure we're quick. If the temple _isn_ ' _t_ down there, we'll need to move _fast_. Especially if we wake any Deathstalkers."

"Yeah." Pyrrha didn't exactly see _how_ the girl had done it, but Ruby's torch was now lit. Ruby must have noticed Pyrrha staring, because she chuckled and waved the torch back and forth. "Neat, hey?"

"Indeed... how did you...?"

Ruby smiled, practically hopping into the cave. "My friend Jaune showed me this really interesting trick... Oh, he's a pretty cool guy, Jaune is. I'll have to introduce you to him after initiation. Oh, my sister too. I think you two'll get along real well."

"Yeah?" Pyrrha half-agreed, smiling despite the fact that Ruby couldn't see it. The other girl's eyes were focused on the tunnel ahead, the flames of the torch tickling the ceiling of the cave as they proceeded.

" _Yeah_!" Ruby reassured, her voice echoing. "Jaune has a rifle-spear kinda like yours, though he much more prefers to call it a _lance._ Thing is – you'll like this – it isn't actually either; it's more of a bident."

"A bident, you say?"

"Mhhm," Ruby hummed affirmatively. "You know how you can throw your spear and propel it with the force of your shot?"

"Yeah, but I haven't-" The girl almost stumbled when the implications of what Ruby had just said hit her:

Pyrrha hadn't even thrown Miló yet.

In a way, there were two possible explanations: Either Ruby had seen a previous tournament match where she'd thrown Miló - which wasn't all that likely, considering the girl hadn't recognized her at all; or, even less likely, Ruby had realized what Pyrrha could do with her weapons without _even_ seeing them in action.

Either option sent shivers of different varieties down the champions spine – either she had a fangirl for a partner, or she had a genius for a partner. One was intolerable, and the other was... well... _incredible_.

"Jaune's 'lance' pushes back when he fires. I asked him about it, and he said something about ' _lunging and slashing_ ', and how he wasn't going to be ' _throwing something longer than he is tall_ '."

"Huh." Was Pyrrha's distracted response.

There was a moment of silence, and Pyrrha noticed the tapping of the two teen's feet on the slightly damp stone of the cavern wasn't the only noise as they proceeded.

It sounded like... breathing. Pyrrha wasn't quite sure _what_ it was, but she didn't like it.

Then, in a great, wide open chamber lit by both Ruby's torch and an innumerable amount of tiny specks, the champion saw _them_.

"Ruby... we need to _run_."

* * *

" _Yaah!_ " Yang roared, sending a fist flying into the face of an Ursa who'd made the mistake of trying to ambush her and Jaune. Bone broke, and Yang had to wonder if maybe – just maybe – the Ursa hadn't been planning on ambushing _anyone_.

Well, it didn't necessarily matter. It wasn't going to be ambushing anyone _anymore._

"Woo!" Yang let out, bouncing on the balls of her feet as the Bear-like Grimm toppled over backwards, never to get back up again. "Man, is this _cathartic_!"

"What, you mean punching-" The loud crack of Jaune's newest weapon interrupted the boy's own words, a round tearing through the Ursa's companion. _That one_ didn't survive either. "Sorry, you mean to say that punching is _cathartic_?"

"Of course it is!" Yang called out, high on life, hopping over to where Jaune was loading another round into his rifle-spear manually. "Come on, doesn't it feel good to just let loose a little bit?"

Jaune shook his head, but his smile countered the action. Yang could tell he was having a good time too. And the best part was, they were _partners_! "You're right, but don't forget we have a mission to do."

Yang scoffed. "Of course – it's not like we're moving _further_ from the temple, right? It's just a small detour..." The blonde brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Not even a detour really... more like a slight delay."

Again, Jaune shook his head, smiling all the while. The boy slung Aquila over his shoulder. "Whatever you want to call it, we need to keep movin-"

A loud, unusual noise ripped through the air, freezing Jaune in place. Yang had a similar reaction, but her's wasn't quite as... extreme.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Jaune asked, mimicking Yang's thoughts. There was perhaps a slight, _unusual_ tinge of fear in his voice.

Yang shrugged. She _definitely_ didn't recognize the odd shriek. "I don't know, but I _kinda_ want to find out."

Jaune shook his head vehemently "I really _don_ ' _t_ want to find out. Whatever it was, it sounded like it came from above u-"

The noise repeated, sounding _much_ closer, Jaune shuddering in response. Just as Yang looked up, something white, pink and orange descended from the treetops above.

"Hiya, Yang!"

Though she'd been hanging upside-down with a vine of some sort wrapped around her ankle, Yang easily recognized the girl for who she was.

"Nora!" Yang stepped forward, hugging the orange-haired powerhouse awkwardly.

After all... how could you hug someone upside down and have it _not_ be awkward?

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me... it was _you_ making those noises Nora!?" Jaune didn't seem to be surprised at all by Nora's entrance apparently, but he seemed immensely relieved.

Nora nodded – showing no strain in doing the action even while hanging upside down. "Yeah, it's my sloth impersonation. Good?"

Yang gave Nora a thumbs up, while Jaune shook his head a negative, drawing his sword. "I don't think that's what a sloth sounds like. Need help down?"

"Sure thing, Jaune! Ready _any time_ you are!"

Yang watched on as, with a quick swipe, Jaune severed the vine that held Nora up. The girl who'd been suspended, however, landed straight on the top of her head, not having done anything to soften her landing.

 _Ouch_.

"Ow... Jaune, why didn't you tell me you weren't ready?"

Jaune's face scrunched up in confusion. "But I _was_ ready- you know what?" Nora rose to her feet, grinning enthusiastically. "I can't even be mad at you Nora. You're a tolerable kind of crazy, compared to what Yang's been like recently."

" _Thank you_!" Nora accepted, as if Jaune were complimenting her.

" _Oi_." Yang grumbled, smiling despite the obvious jab. "You're telling me there's a difference?"

Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors, laughing to himself. "Between Nora's brand of crazy, and your 'tackling me mid-air at two-hundred feet after ripping my clothes off the previous night' crazy? Oh, and let's not forget you _almost suffocating me_ in your... in _your_..." Jaune blushed, gesturing towards Yang – her chest in particular – " _Cleavage_ after we landed. So y _es_ , there's a difference." Jaune explained.

" _Hahaha_ , you know you enjoyed it." Yang mock laughed, a light blush rising to her face. Sure, it was a little embarrassing, but she'd been so... e _xcited_ earlier _..._ that, and that _onesie_ had to go."Anyways, enough about that." Yang turned to Nora. "Where's Ren?"

Nora visibly deflated, her smile practically _falling_ off her face - something Yang didn't think was possible. "I haven't found him yet. I'm thinking that we got launched into completely different directions; like, I went this way-" Nora pointed her hands in two opposite directions "-and he went this way. Renny was supposed to remain still, while I looked for him from above. We were supposed to be making the same sloth noises, like the ones I was making earlier..."

Jaune and Yang shared a glance, and perhaps also the same thought:

 _There was no way Ren would be caught dead making those noises_.

"But if he did stay still, and he _was_ making those noises, I'd have found him by now _._ " Nora crouched down, using her finger to draw circles in the dirt.

"Well," Jaune spoke next, patting Nora's shoulder gently, "Why don't we head for the temple? Ren might already be there."

Nora stared into the dirt at her feet for a moment, before nodding an affirmative, standing back up to her full height. "Alright. You got it, _team lee-dah._ "

Jaune looked a little taken aback, and Yang smiled at that. "Leader?" The boy turned to her, and Yang could do nothing but shrug, before stepping forward and placing her hand on his shoulder, much like he had with Nora, before giving it a small squeeze.

"You were a leader in Nyurse. Might as well be a leader here and now, right?"

The blond nodded, placing his hand on her shoulder as well. "Yeah, I guess."

"Alright, let's go Team Jaune!"

Jaune _himself_ blanched, turning to watch as Nora practically began prancing in a random direction. "Nora, no! The temple should be this way!"

Yang chuckled to herself, taking a moment to stand and watch as her friend – and her partner for the next _four_ years – chased after Nora.

Eventually, Jaune was able to get Nora moving in the right direction – why the girl thought to run _south_ of all directions at first was beyond Yang. The hammer-wielder led the way, smacking aside any Grimm that got in her way – a few Beowolves here, an Ursa there... Yang was just disappointed she'd tore through them so quickly... she wanted in on the fun too.

Although, seeing as how Yang herself thought punching things was good stress relief, she figured Nora needed all the Grimm killing she could.

"You think Ren partnered up with someone else?" Jaune whispered to her, quiet enough so Nora wouldn't hear.

"I certainly hope not." Yang commented uncomfortably, having been thinking along the same lines. "I don't want to know what'll happen if he _did_ pair up with someone else – intentionally or not."

"Agreed... worst case scenario though, I'll be able to keep her calm..." Yang felt a little reassured at her partner's words. "...I think."

 _And there he goes again!_ "What do you mean, ' _you think_ '?"

"You know what? I've got _everything_ under control; let me handle it." Jaune restated.

Yang stared into Jaune's eyes for but a moment, the boy blinking dumbly. Yang punched him in the shoulder _very_ lightly, nodding. "... _Better_."

"Oh, look, a _temple_! And I think I see Ren!"

Yang and Jaune both turned towards where Nora had shouted from, seeing the girl running out into a clearing. The two blondes moved to catch up.

"Well, if he _is_ partnered up, I hope whatever you've got works. The fate of Remnant hangs in the balance, after all." Yang half-joked.

Jaune nodded seriously.

The two teens walked out into the clearing, seeing what Nora had seen moments ago. The temple – it _had_ to be the temple – sat in the middle of a clearing. In front of the odd stone structure, stood three teens.

Blake and Ren were the two Yang was able to recognize immediately, even from a distance. The third person at the temple, however, was new. The girl, in her white dress with her long white hair done up in a ponytail seemed to have a certain air about her, and she looked thoroughly uninterested as she watched Nora approach. Yang broke into a jog, with Jaune matching her stride for stride, trying to catch up to Nora who'd been practically _sprinting_ since she'd seen Ren.

That Ruby wasn't there waiting at the temple was only _slightly_ disconcerting; either her sister had been there already, or she was on her way. Whichever it was, Yang was _sure_ she was safe.

Upon her approach, Yang was greeted by Blake with a smile and a wave, to which Yang responded similarly. As the blonde got closer, she actually had to tune out Nora, who was blabbering on and _on_ to Ren about how she couldn't find him and how she didn't hear his 'sloth calls' _._

"Hey Blake, nice to see you!" Yang called, stopping a brief distance from the group. Nora had been enthusiastically hugging Ren, and the boy looked uncomfortable as all hell – though Yang hoped it was for a different reason than she was thinking.

"And you, Yang." Blake responded cooly. "You meet up with Ruby at all?"

"Not yet." Yang watched as Jaune approached the girl in white, who looked so _badly_ like she wanted to be somewhere else. The blonde wondered what that was about, but she was more focused on Jaune's actions.

Jaune... seemed... _unusually_ stiff. He was slowly getting closer to the girl, as if any sudden movements might spook her and she'd take flight. The girl, on the other hand, was playing with her hair, very poorly trying to hide the fact that she was attempting to ignore absolutely anything going on around her. Then, Jaune opened his mouth, asking the girl a question.

"You're Weiss Schnee, right?"

The girl looked up to Jaune, _grimaced_ , took a moment to look around, and went back to playing with her hair.

"Yang? ...uh... _Yang_?" Blake's words fell on deaf ears.

 _That bitch_.

" _Yang_ , Ruby's here."

"Huh? Where?" Yang looked left, then right, forgetting her anger almost entirely, but not seeing her sister anywhere. Blake pointed behind Yang, and the blonde turned. The older sister relaxed, her anger pushed to the back of her mind; sure enough, Ruby was running towards her, full tilt.

Jaune came to stand next to Yang. Out of the corner of her eye, Yang could tell Jaune was at least _slightly_ dejected. She'd worry about that later though.

Yang watched as another girl she didn't really recognize – one dressed in brown and gold – followed Ruby, lagging behind ever so slightly. That the girl was managing to keep pace with Ruby – even without the younger girl using her semblance – spoke volumes. The redhead turned, leveling her rifle at the trees behind her before firing thrice.

That... couldn't be good.

" _Yang! Jaune!_ We need help!"

"Ruby! What did you do!?" Jaune and Yang asked synchronously.

" _Deathstalkers_!" Ruby called out, jumping while using Crescent Rose to propel herself higher. Yang's sister landed on the top of one of the temple's pillars, turning before firing shots into the woods.

 _Deathstalkers_? "Wait _... Deathstalkers..._ as in plural for _Deathstalker_?"

Sure enough, just at the edge of the tree line, a small, thin pine was trampled, a Deathstalker nearly the size of a full grown man skittering out into the clearing. It was then followed by another one slightly smaller. And then another, just a little _bigger_ than the first. The one in the front collapsed, it's carapace split open by the impact of Ruby's sniper fire... but another took it's place.

Yang gulped, "Well, this isn't anything we can't handle, right guys-"

…"Ren, what do you mean we _aren_ 't _partners_?"

 _Ah,_ _hell_.

* * *

Pyrrha ran, her feet managing to find decent enough purchase in the earth beneath her. The redhead hurdled over a small boulder, reloading as she moved. The Deathstalker that she was sure was on her heels suddenly _wasn't_ , Ruby providing covering fire from the temple.

The _actual_ temple – not the theoretical one that was apparently stuffed with miniature scorpion Grimm.

Pyrrha approached the small group that was huddled around the front of the temple – the only person among them instantly recognizable being Weiss, the girl having talked to her in the morning before initiation. The heiress to the SDC seemed a little out of it, but she provided Pyrrha with a smile nonetheless.

A girl with orange hair seemed to be on the verge of tears, the boy with black hair across from her trying – and failing – to console her on whatever her problem was. Two other girls, and one guy, were standing looking out upon the incoming horde. The blonde male reached over his shoulder, pulling a weapon from his back. When it was deployed – and Pyrrha saw it for what it was – she approached.

"Hello, you must be Jaune." The redhead didn't wait for a response, but the boy acknowledged with a nod. "I'm Pyrrha, Ruby's partner." The champion spoke hurriedly, knowing they had no time to waste on pleasantries.

"Pleased to meet you." Jaune gestured at the blonde next to him, before he began pointing fingers to the others. "This is Yang, that's Blake. In order, they are Ren, Nora, and Weiss."

"Not the time for introductions, Jaune." The girl named Yang stepped forward, pounding her fists together. "Can you snap Nora out of it? I'd prefer none of us die here, and I know Ruby can't keep them off us forever."

"Yeah. Cover me- us?"

Yang nodded, before walking out to fight the horde of incoming Deathstalkers.

"Actually, Yang..." Jaune started, the blonde girl pausing briefly, "Take... Weiss and Ren. I need Blake _here_." The boy turned towards Pyrrha, "Hey, can you get up top where Ruby is?"

The champion examined the temple. Pyrrha couldn't jump nearly as high as Ruby could without wasting Aura, but despite the complete lack of either stairs or a ladder, the champion was confident she could make her way up. So she nodded.

"Okay good, take this to her," Jaune detached a pouch on his thigh, handing it to Pyrrha, "and then help fight these things off. We'll get the artifacts and make our way out of here after we've relieved some of the pressure, okay?"

"Got it." Pyrrha, spurred on by the blond's command, began to make her way towards the path up she'd spotted moments ago.

However, just as she was about to begin climbing the ruins, a nearby argument caught her attention – she barely heard it, Ruby's sniper fire making it sound as if thunder was rolling through constantly.

"Why do I have to listen to _you_?" The tone was... rather snarky, but not unfamiliar: The voice belonged to Weiss.

"Okay, well how about you _listen_ here you stuck up bi-"

Pyrrha got there just in time. "Hey!" She shouted, pushing herself between the blonde and Weiss. Both Yang, her red eyes alight with fury – who'd been interrupted – and Weiss turned to look at Pyrrha. Yang stared inpassively, while Weiss seemed... surprised, but no doubt still seething on the inside.

Pyrrha... had never been much of a 'yeller'. In fact, she barely ever shouted at anyone, or anything like that. She didn't know much about people, but she had to admit, she knew how people _worked_. She'd fought Colosseum matches in Mistral where others tried to get inside her head – she'd heard every insult in the books, every _lie_.

It had never worked. But they never stopped trying.

The champion took a deep breath. "There'll be none of that." She stated calmly. "Weiss, go with... Yang?" The blonde nodded. "Whatever bad blood you two have with each other, it _doesn_ ' _t_ matter." It was a simple assumption, but that's exactly what it seemed like to Pyrrha: Whether it was a bitter rivalry, or just plain _hate_ , they needed to work together.

It wasn't quite a 'life or death' situation, but the best way to make sure everyone got out okay was to _act_ as if it was one.

Weiss looked halfway between grumbling and complying. Yang, on the other hand...

"You know what? Pyrrha's right. We'll settle this _later_."

The champion shook her head. That wouldn't do. "No, you'll settle this now. Whoever kills more Deathstalkers is in the right."

Both teens seemed to tilt their heads at Pyrrha's suggestion. With a sigh, Pyrrha turned, shouldering Miló and sighting down the barrel. The Deathstalkers weren't nearly in melee range yet – in fact, they seemed to be moving slowly, letting their numbers grow. Pyrrha picked one of the smaller ones and fired.

The champion didn't even watch as the round hit it's mark. "That's _one_ for me." Pyrrha mentioned. "I'd better not beat either of you, _now go_!"

The two girls who'd been arguing shared a spiteful look, before they ran out to meet the wave of incoming scorpion-Grimm. Pyrrha pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing, before realizing she hadn't been alone.

The boy from earlier, Ren, was still standing there. He gave her a respectful nod before pursuing the other two, his weapons drawn.

 _I_... _I can't believe that actually worked_.

With that matter settled, Pyrrha returned to the pillar she'd spotted earlier, slipping her hand into a crack that had just been wide enough to get a decent grip. It didn't take her long to scale the pillar. When she was at the top, she jumped a little higher, grabbing on to the ledge that was just barely within reach.

The champion pulled herself up. Walking around the 'edge' of the temple – the circle that went around the central area housing the relics – Pyrrha eventually found herself next to Ruby. She placed the pouch Jaune had given her on the ground next to her partner, before crouching and taking aim.

"Jaune sent me up here with a pouch for you." Pyrrha explained, taking a few potshots at some of the Deathstalkers. She was right: they _were_ moving slowly. At least, slower than they were _before_."He didn't say what to do with it or anything, so I figured you might know."

"Jaune did?" Ruby asked curiously, her eye not leaving her scope. After taking a moment's time to fire, Ruby spoke again. "Can you open it for me, and then place it on my left?"

"Uh, sure?"

It was an odd request, but Pyrrha did so, before looking out into the 'battlefield'. Numerous Deathstalker corpses – of varying sizes – dotted the clearing. The champion knew which ones had been felled by either her or Ruby – the bullet wounds and their distance from the temple making it obvious. Yang, Weiss and Ren were an 'offensive barrier', cutting, crushing, and shooting anything that got within their range.

As Pyrrha shouldered her rifle, she heard Ruby's sniper bark, and a small section of the ground roughly fifty meters away _exploded_.

 _What the_...?

"Oh Jaune, you're going to have to make me a _lot_ more of these."

* * *

Jaune stood, a hand on either one of Nora's shoulders, taking a deep breath as he stared into her eyes. He heard Ruby's rifle fired overhead, and the ground shook in tandem.

He was supposed to have given Ruby some of his Dust rounds before initiation began. Of course, not actually being able to see the girl in the morning beforehand had kind of ruined that. Though, he had Yang to blame for that.

At least he'd managed to get them to her now, though.

Back to the matter at hand... it was actually a little depressing seeing Nora the way she was. Jaune hoped – and prayed – that his little bit of reassurance was going to work. If not... he had a _backup_ plan, but he didn't want to have to fall back to _that_.

"Look, Nora, listen." There was no visible response from the girl, her eyes seemingly dead. "Even if you and Ren aren't partners, you can still be on the same team! Right?"

"But what's the point?" Nora whispered, a tear coming to one of her eyes. "If Ren's not my partner... I'll... I'll.."

 _Well that didn't work_.

" _Shhhh_." Jaune shushed Nora, squeezing her shoulders. He didn't dare attempt to hug the girl – she may have been okay with it, seeing as she had no issue with physical contact usually, but in her current state she seemed like an entirely different kind of person. "It'll be okay, Nora. In fact... _I can't believe I'm saying this_... but if Ren isn't on your team... I'll do something I haven't done since we helped the Nyurse refugees."

Jaune wasn't surprised at all that what he said turned out to be the one thing that had gotten a reaction out of Nora. The girl's eyes – while they'd seemingly been staring into nothing previously – met his own."You mean...?"

Jaune shuddered, already having _flashbacks_. "Yes... _I'll make pancakes again_. And they won't be for the refugees; they'll be for _you_ , and you can have howev-"

"What're your orders, _Boss_?" Nora snapped a salute, seemingly having come to life at just the mention of her favorite breakfast food. Jaune had to wonder what he'd gotten himself into, considering what happened at the Vale Airport that fateful day.

He'd never made so many pancakes in his life... and he never thought he'd seen a girl eat so _many_ in his life – especially considering they weren _'t_ for _her_ – But right now, he had something else to worry about.

Or rather, to _not_ worry about. "Nora... _Smash_."

The hammer wielder was gone, just like that.

"Pancakes... _really_?" Blake asked from behind Jaune, voice sounding doubtful.

"It's a long story. Now, have you or Ren grabbed an artefact yet?"

Blake shook her head, "No, we haven't."

Jaune turned, heading inside the temple. Saying he was 'inside' the temple was odd, considering said temple was just a round floor surrounded by pillars, arches, and a rudimentary wall, but he didn't really care about that. Inside the temple, there were some pedestals, and resting atop the pedestals were... chess pieces?

"So, what do you think?" Jaune asked. "Are we allowed to grab for other people, or what?"

Blake stepped forward, picking up a black knight piece. "I'm not sure. Didn't the headmaster say each duo had to bring back one artefact?"

"I think it was something like that." Jaune rubbed at his chin, surveying the chess pieces and the pedestals they sat on. Jaune looked out between two of the pillars behind him, seeing Yang and Weiss fighting, killing as many Deathstalkers as they could, but despite their best effort, the horde was growing. "Alright, so who are partners? Me and Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha..."

"Ren and I..." Blake mentioned, Jaune smacking himself in the head for his grammar error, despite Blake not _actually_ correcting it. "If Nora and the Schnee girl made eye contact, that makes them partners I think?"

"Hmm..." Jaune hummed, grabbing a white rook, inspecting it before returning it to it's rightful place. "We need everyone inside-"

" _Fall back_! Get inside the temple!"

Jaune looked up, just as Pyrrha, who'd given the order to retreat, jumped down. Ruby's partner landed hard, using her momentum to roll. Her emerald eyes met Jaune's as she spoke. "I'm out of ammo. Ruby's going to provide covering fire until we're all inside."

The blond nodded, walking towards the 'entrance' of the temple. "Nora!" Jaune shouted, the girl looking over as she crushing a smaller Deathstalker beneath her hammer's weight. "When everyone's inside, I need you to take out these pillars in the front!"

" _Got it_!"

Pyrrha stepped out next to Jaune, yelling towards the three fighters who were slowly falling back. "Quickly! We don't have much time!"

Weiss was the first in, followed by Yang, and then Ren. "Now, Nora!"

With a giggle that was actually befitting her, Nora swung her hammer low, striking one of the pillars at the base. Before it even began to fall, Nora adjusted her grip, swinging her hammer the other direction, colliding with another pillar up high.

Jaune relaxed, as Nora's strikes had the intended effect: The pillar that was struck at the base collapsed, and the one struck high toppled, providing a makeshift barrier of rubble. Jaune hoped it would take the Deathstalkers more than a few seconds to scale the obstruction and make their way inside.

Apparently, they weren't quite done fortifying yet however; with a sound Jaune was at least _partially_ familiar with, crystals of ice began to form along the top of the barricade, developing into a large, cold wall with a tinge of blue. Jaune turned to the 'sculptor', smiling. "Thanks."

"Whatever." The girl replied, turning away dramatically, returning her rapier to her waist.

 _Still giving me the cold shoulder_...

Jaune hoped he would have a chance to talk to the girl after initiation was over – perhaps reintroduce himself.

Ruby fell from above, landing _perhaps_ a little less gracefully than her partner.

Now that everyone was gathered, Jaune figured it was as good a time as any to speak.

"Okay guys, every pair should grab a chess piece." Jaune recommended. "I have a plan."

The teens glanced back and forth, perhaps reassuring each other of who was there – and who their partner was. Jaune's eyes were drawn to one person in particular, and he almost cringed when Nora looked to Ren before she looked down at one of the pedestals, sighing.

"You don't have a partner?" Nora looked up, and Jaune watched as her eyes lit up momentarily. "I'm Weiss. And you are...?"

"Nora." The hammer wielder smiled bitterly. "Have you... grabbed a relic yet?"

"No, I haven't" The heiress replied.

The orange haired girl tilted her head slightly, before her hand wrapped around a rook – the one Jaune had picked up earlier. "This one's nice. It looks like a castle."

Jaune smiled lightly, hoping the two were going to work good together. It would probably be a rough fit, but he had a little faith.

" _Neiiiigh_." Jaune jumped slightly, turning, not even _noticing_ there'd been someone behind him as they whispered in his ear.

" _Holy_ , Yang. You almost gave me a heart attack."

Jaune's best friend and partner smiled, holding up a white knight piece. "Cute, hey?"

The blond shook his head, chuckling. "Yeah, sure, whatever you think."

Yang pouted – honestly _pouted_. "You're no fun."

"Hehe…" Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, before turning to the others, at least half of them with their objectives in hand.

 _Okay… what now_?

Perhaps to Jaune's credit, everyone seemed to be looking his way; as if they were expecting him to tell them what to do. Any other day, he'd be proud.

But right now…?

Jaune clapped his hands together once, before speaking. "Well, I'm open to suggestions... What should we do?"

All the other prospective students in front of him – a couple he knew, a few he didn't _really_ know, and one he just met – looked amongst each other.

Weiss was the first to speak, probably already thinking of what to do since earlier. "We just need to make it back to the cliffs, right? We can outrun these Deathstalkers, so we could just _leave_."

It was a valid point, Jaune reasoned; they had the artefacts they needed to recover, so what was the point of sticking around?

"They might not seem like much…" Pyrrha spoke up after a moment of silence, Weiss and everyone turning to face her. "But if we run into other Grimm we _need_ to fight while we're running away from these Deathstalkers, then there'll be problems."

"I would say we should stand and fight, but this temple isn't very defendable…" Blake contributed.

They were all such good recommendations… there was no 'wrong' answer. The blond scanned the faces of those who had yet to say anything – and the found one person who's expression seemed conflicted.

"Ren, you have anything?"

The boy was clearly not expecting to be called on, but he managed to provide regardless: "There are some more ruins to the north that look like they'd provide some good choke points… the only issue is-"

"That they're further north… and thus further from our objective, _right_." Jaune finished quickly. They had a lot of options to choose from, and very little time to pick the best one – if the skittering sounds beyond the makeshift barricade of rubble and ice were any indication.

 _At least these Deathstalkers are stupid_...

And they really were. All the Grimm had to do to get inside was move a little more clockwise around the temple. Instead, from the sounds of it, they were clambering on top of each other, trying to make their way over the wall.

That still didn't mean he had enough time to make the decision. There were too many variables, and-

"Let's head for the ruins. It sounds like a safe bet."

Jaune looked up, seeing it had been Ruby's partner, Pyrrha who'd spoken. "It's Ren, right?" The girl in bronze armor got a nod in response. "Were these ruins tall?"

"Yes, they were." Ren explained. "But they're still in the opposite direction of our objective."

"That doesn't matter. If we can get a height advantage over these Deathstalkers, I think that's the most important thing. After all, do you hear _that_?"

There was a pause, all the teens in the temple listening.

Yang cleared her throat, "You mean _aside_ from the Deathstalkers trying to climb their way in?"

"No, that's exactly what I wanted you to hear." Pyrrha nodded. "Trying and _failing_. Apparently, these Deathstalkers don't climb very well-"

"Oh, look, one got in!" Nora exclaimed.

Indeed, _one single Deathstalker_ made it over the wall.

"Don't worry, _I got this_."

Ruby, who'd been quiet for the majority of the impromptu meeting, leveled Crescent Rose in it's sniper form, at the scorpion Grimm.

"Wait, Ruby _no_!"

Jaune's warning came much too late, but the boy managed to just _barely_ get his shield between himself and Ruby's target.

After all, what type of round would it have been that Ruby last had in her chamber?

With a blinding flash of light and a wave of heat washing over his body, Jaune was blasted backwards. Luckily, it seemed he was the one who had been closest to the point of impact.

 _Unluckily_ , a large chunk of wall that had been there before suddenly _wasn't_ , and the Deathstalkers that had been held back suddenly _weren't_.

"Ruby, what did you _do_?" Jaune barely heard Yang over the light ringing in his ears. The boy stood, managing to stumble further away from the gap in their defenses.

"Everyone, to the ruins!" Jaune called out. "Nora, smoke these things!"

Jaune didn't receive a verbal response from the orange haired girl, but the fact that her hammer was in it's grenade launcher form and he felt another dull thud with each passing second was answer enough.

The blonde began to sprint upon finding his bearings, following everyone who was running in front of him. The only people not in his vision were Nora, who he knew was behind him, and Ruby, who was likely _much_ further ahead.

It didn't take long for the ruins to enter Jaune's sight: A tall spire, a long bridge connecting it to land... at first, Jaune thought the structure was in the middle of a lake, but as he got closer he realized that wasn't exactly the case.

Jaune's feet struck stone once more, and he looked over the edge.

That... was a _long_ way down.

Ignoring the possibility of certain death if he fell off the bridge, Jaune turned towards the incoming horde of miniature Deathstalkers, collapsing his shield and pulling Horizon from it's holster.

Holding the pistol with both hands, he began firing, each shot hitting it's mark. If Ruby was watching, Jaune was certain she'd be proud.

Ruby wasn't watching, Jaune realized, as one of the bigger – if not the biggest – Deathstalker erupted into a gout of flame.

 _Showoff_...

Jaune thumbed Horizon's release, letting the magazine fall from it's well. When Jaune reached for a replacement however...

If Jaune had the time to smack himself upside the head, he would have: He just realized Ruby had _all_ his ammo, not just his Dust rounds. The boy returned Horizon to his lower back.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid_!

Just as Jaune drew Crocea Mors, he was joined by someone who was rapidly becoming a comforting presence, despite not formally meeting her – with a spear in one hand, and her shield in the other, Pyrrha stood to Jaune's right, prepared to meet the Deathstalker's charge.

"Don't worry about falling." The statement came from behind Jaune, not from beside him. "I'll catch you... but only because Pyrrha said so."

Jaune felt the beginning of a smile tugging at his lips. "I'll try to be careful, Snow Angel."

It was more than a few moments before the blond got any sort of response from the Schnee heiress.

"… After this, I don't even want to hear your voice. _Ever_. _Again_."

Jaune winced. He didn't think it could get _any_ worse, but apparently, it could.

 _What the hell did I do wrong_?

"Here they come." Pyrrha muttered.

Jaune thought one thing:

 _Let them_.

The Deathstalkers got closer. And closer. And _closer_. One of them seemed to be heading straight for Jaune.

The scorpion leapt, and Jaune answered accordingly, Crocea Mors singing as it bit into black, fleshy plate. Jaune wasted no time knocking the now-corpse back with his shield, lunging at another Deathstalker that was attempting to attack.

In reality, it seemed like there were too many – but that was too many for _just one man_. Anything Jaune couldn't kill himself, fell to gunfire from the ruins behind him – whether it was one of Yang's slugs passing over his shoulder, a burst of rounds from Ren's weapons, or a grenade landing at a _decently_ safe distance courtesy of Nora – anything Jaune couldn't kill himself, someone killed it for him. A couple other shots even felled a few of the Grimm, Jaune not certain of the source, but guessing Blake had a pistol or something.

Whether it was planned out or not – it hadn't been _him_ – the teens had turned the ruins into a veritable fortress. It was almost poetic: Jaune and Pyrrha, the wall against which the darkness broke, and... everyone else... shooting the Grimm...

...There was a reason Jaune was trying to be a Huntsman and not a _writer_.

The battle seemed to last forever... Jaune cut down Deathstalker after _Deathstalker_... If Grimm could bleed, Jaune was sure he'd be submerged from the waist down, provided the blood didn't flow over the edge of the bridge... which it definitely would have.

" _Raaagh!_ "With a roar, Jaune brought his blade skyward, bisecting a Deathstalker that had just collided with his shield. It was an odd feeling, but Crocea Mors felt unusually comfortable in his grip. _So_ comfortable, that he reversed his grip on the blade, bringing it down to stab another Deathstalker.

"There just doesn't seem to be... any end to them, is there?" Jaune pondered aloud, not expecting any response.

"No... but we're close. We almost have them all!"

The blond didn't even acknowledge who'd spoken, simply thrusting Crocea Mors through another scorpion. Even though the corpses were dispersing, they were still piling up. Knowing this, Jaune picked up the Grimm he'd just killed, still impaled on his sword, and tossed it over the edge of the bridge.

Eleven seconds; ten strikes; and eight more Deathstalkers fell to Jaune Arc.

But eight more filled the then vacant spots. Jaune cut those down as well. Then, finally, the crack of a sniper round fired...

And the last Deathstalker fell.

* * *

Ozpin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an effort to preemptively relieve the massive headache he felt coming on. The wind was hitting him from behind – actually, the man had turned so it wouldn't be blowing in his face as he watched his scroll's display.

The headmaster of Beacon didn't think it was possible, but _somehow_ , the initiation _itself_ had failed completely. One wouldn't have imagined that, seeing the eight teenagers on screen seeming so jovial, and full of life.

Ozpin swiped a finger across the screen, switching from one camera feed to the next – this one displaying live footage from the camera that had been placed in the temple.

What had originally been a ruined temple, was now a temple in _ruins_. A large section of the wall was blown away, and the pedestals the relics had been placed on were simply non-existent.

The relics themselves, the ones the initiates were supposed to return to the cliffs? They were all gone, but that in itself was the source of all the headmaster's problems.

Of all the relics that had been in the temple – all twenty of them...

Only _six_ had been taken.

Thirteen had been destroyed – collateral damage, caught in explosions. Three were lost to Ruby Rose, and ten to Nora Valkyrie...

If someone were to ask Ozpin what happened to the _last_ relic?

A _Deathstalker_ took it, and then proceeded to _fall into the canyon_.

… Maybe he could just make it fourteen destroyed?

 _Yes_. _That would do_.

Ozpin closed the video, instead tapping in a short sequence of numbers. After a few seconds, the scroll began dialing.

" _Beacon Airforce_ , _Commander Melander speaking._ "

"Good afternoon, Commander." Ozpin greeted. "I need two Bullheads to... _these_ coordinates for retrieval. The payload is eight Beacon initiates."

" _Understood_. _Anything else_?"

Ozpin thought for but a moment, before he grinned to himself.

"Make sure you have air-fresheners."

* * *

 **"Weren't expecting that, were you?" - Professor Port**

 **With how many people thought I wouldn't be splitting Ren and Nora up, it certainly seems like an appropriate quote. Practically anyone who had a guess for what teams would be simply assumed that.**

 **Now you're all going to have to reevaluate your choices. Ha ha!**

 **Before you all get up in my face about things, a lot of this has all been planned for a very long time (over six months, in some cases). I'm not typically a fan of planning _too_ far ahead, since it can be so constricting for creativity, but this has been a long time coming.**

 **Man, this was tons of fun to write. And this is only the beginning! Think of how much fun we're all going to have!**

 **Let me know what you guys think! If you see any grammar issues, please be sure to point them out to me in a PM or something.**

 **Later!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	24. Teams

**I'm actually surprised I found the time to write this out. Finally, what we've all been waiting for! (?)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jaune sighed quietly to himself, his head resting lightly against the interior wall of the Bullhead. The dull whine and heavy thrum of the engines provided an odd sense of comfort – one Jaune had very few chances to experience before, due to his past with motion sickness. Thinking back on it, the boy actually didn't think he'd been sick _at_ _all_ ever since Sherry had given him that odd concoction.

… If he hadn't already paid her back, he'd have felt obligated to do so – even if the older woman didn't ask.

The Bullhead – like any Bullhead – had no windows in it's passenger/cargo bay, and thus no way for Jaune to distract himself from the suffocating tension between its passengers. In a way, Jaune wasn't worried about anything _happening_ at all... In fact, for the most part, they'd all been civilly silent.

Of course, there _had_ to be one person on board who was absolutely _immune_ to said tension.

"So... does anyone know _why_ we were picked up?" All the eyes in the hold turned to Nora, the one who'd spoke.

Shortly after the eight teens were finished reveling in the fact that they'd successfully managed to fend off so many Deathstalkers, two Bullheads came roaring over the treetops, the pilots saying they had orders to pick them up. Jaune hadn't been suspicious then – still in a state of euphoria at their victory – so he'd simply agreed to it.

But Nora was the one who had asked the million lien question: Why _had_ they been picked up?

The tension seemed to grow worse as no one responded to the orange haired girl's question. Jaune felt pressured to supply some kind of answer; that was what Ren would have done, had the boy been on the same Bullhead.

"Well..." Jaune started, trying to ignore the pointed stare he received from Weiss, one of their Bullhead's other occupants – and the main source of the tiltjet's sour atmosphere. "Maybe initiation was over?"

"I don't think so." Yang, sitting next to Jaune supplied in response. It was a little surprising, but the blonde brawler was the Bullhead's _other_ source of tension. For some reason, Jaune's longtime friend seemed to be trying to match the SDC heiress, stare for stare. "We didn't actually recover the relics... maybe somethings up."

Despite not having a clue what either girl's problem was, the blond was familiar with the signs: Yang seemed like she was ready to tear Weiss' throat out – and, not knowing _anything_ about what was going on, Jaune was making the executive decision to keep his mouth _shut_.

After all, Jaune wasn't quite certain which of the two girls he was more scared of – who's wrath he'd rather face. On one hand, if he angered Weiss, chances are that any kind of friendship with the girl he'd saved back in Atlas would become practically impossible to form. On the other hand, there was Yang, who Jaune _really_ didn't want to anger.

Without any real warning, the Bullhead's hatch opened. Jaune walked over to said hatch, his hand gripping the overhead rail.

The second time 'landing' at Beacon's docks wasn't any less impressive as the first. Perhaps it was because now he had a front row seat, nothing separating him from the glorious view before him.

The speaker in the Bullhead's cargo hold blared: " _Alright, everyone off_." Though the voice was gruff and impolite, Jaune and the three girls who'd gathered behind him complied, hopping the short distance to the concrete landing pad.

After taking a few strides forward, Jaune looked to his left, seeing the other four from initiation – who'd been in the other Bullhead – making their way towards the courtyard.

The groups merged, Jaune noticing Nora latching on to Ren's arm almost immediately. Everyone else was relatively quiet as they walked towards Beacon's main building. Yang's residual anger seemed to have _evaporated_ –or at least, the girl forced it down – something that surprised Jaune. However, the boy's thoughts weren't allowed to linger on that, as standing in the middle of Beacon's courtyard was Professor Goodwitch.

The teens stopped a short distance from the deputy headmistress, and her eyes roved over each student for not but a moment.

"Welcome back to Beacon... If you would follow me please." It was less a request and more an order. Jaune, as well as the others, had no choice but to comply.

The silence was unreadable – Jaune had a million questions, and he had no doubt the others had just as many, but with the way Goodwitch had greeted them, there was no _room_ for any questions. It was as if Goodwitch was silently enforcing that they were not to speak at all, and they all obeyed.

"Now then, students, if you would please line up single file." Goodwitch called behind her, pausing in front of the doors leading into the great hall. Jaune looked over his shoulder, seeing everyone falling in behind him.

Meaning, he was at the _front_ of the line.

 _Oh you have got to be kidding me_ … Yang even had the audacity to smile and wave.

Jaune swallowed the lump growing in his throat, but he stepped forward regardless, unfazed.

Then, as Professor Goodwitch saw they were ready, she pushed through the doors. The doors stayed open, Jaune and the others following her through.

Contrary to the chatter Jaune, Yang, and Ruby had once experienced upon entering the great hall for the first time, the hall _this_ time around was deathly quiet. There were a few whispers here and there – neighbors conversing amongst each other – but otherwise, it was silent.

It didn't help that everyone – literally _everyone_ – was staring at Jaune.

… _Okay?_

Jaune wasn't quite sure what it was – what he _felt_ – but he didn't break stride: he didn't pause, didn't slow… as his eyes met those of the students who'd been waiting, he noticed that they weren't just staring because him and the others had just arrived…

The ones who were closest, Jaune noticed, weren't just staring. They were _glaring_.

 _What the hell…_?

Was _this_ what Goodwitch had been talking about? Was _this_ the reaction to what happened between him and Yang?

…No, it _wasn't._

After all, it wasn't just Jaune or Yang that were being stared at.

Although Jaune could barely hear it, there was some kind of whispered conversation coming from the others behind him. Rather than trying to tune everything else to listen in, Jaune focused more on following Goodwitch, who was leading them down an aisle through the center of the hall.

Eventually, one step to the next, Jaune found himself at the edge of the stage. Goodwitch directed Jaune to the side, where he stood in a row with some other students – the empty space having likely been left for him and the others.

"...We got the same treatment."

Jaune turned to face the student next to him who spoke. Though the boy stared straight ahead, Jaune managed to recognize the boy's face instantly, though he was decked out in a lot more armor than the Signal alumni had last seen. "Hey, you're the guy from the bathroom last night, right?"

The taller student nodded slightly. "Yeah, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Cardin."

"Jaune."

Before the two could continue with any kind of real conversation, Ruby tugged on Jaune's sleeve. "Jaune, what's going on?"

"I have no idea." The boy answered honestly, turning his eyes to the scythe wielder. Ruby seemed at least a little overwhelmed, her hands balled into fists. He provided the shorter girl with a smile. "We'll probably find out soon though."

Ruby returned the smile, though a little half-heartedly. Jaune turned back to face the stage, clasping his hands together in front of him.

Jaune felt really awkward leaving the conversation at that, but… what else could he do? He was no Yang. If Ruby was nervous or concerned, or _whatever_ … there wasn't much he could do, aside from smiling and offering words of encouragement.

Then, the red cloaked girl let out a lengthy sigh.

...Or was there? _Ah, whatever_.

Taking a page from Yang's book – one that was probably 'co-authored' by Qrow – Jaune bent his knees slightly, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders. He pulled her a little closer, getting a small squeak from the girl in response.

Ruby didn't seem to relax; in fact, she _tensed up._ But a couple seconds later she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"...Thanks Jaune."

Jaune pulled away from the younger girl, patting her on the shoulder. There were only two ways that particular scenario could have possibly gone, based on past experiences with his sisters: either they'd relax… or they'd get _worse._

Jaune was glad it was the former... after all, though he'd spent a decent amount of time with Ruby, he couldn't really say he _knew_ her all that well. When the boy looked over and saw a thumbs up from Yang…

He'd been doing a lot of comforting recently – Nora out in the forest, and now Ruby. He really hoped it wasn't becoming a recurring theme.

Then, Jaune heard the loud ' _clack_ ' of Ozpin's cane making contact with the stage floor, the headmaster walking out into the spotlight. Standing tall before the microphone, the man loomed, looking as if he was about to deliver some grave news.

Regardless of Jaune's preconceptions, Ozpin spoke normally. "Hello students, and welcome back to Beacon. I hope you all enjoyed your time in the Emerald Forest?"

There was no real answer, just a lot of _grumbling_. Jaune looked around awkwardly, wondering if perhaps something _had_ happened.

If that was the case, he would know soon; the blond refocused his attention on the stage.

"As you know doubt already know, this year's initiation has been rather… _complicated._ Due to unforeseen circumstances, it turns out there were not enough relics for everyone to complete their objective. This, however, while being an issue for those who were unable to retrieve said relics, will not have any real effect on your ability to attend Beacon Academy…

"Aside from those who failed out normally, every one of you will attend Beacon this year."

A loud cheer went up at the headmaster's words, and Jaune could practically feel the air reverberate around him.

"However!" Ozpin called into the microphone as the roar of the crowd settled, "As students who technically did not pass initiation, you will _not_ be grouped into teams for said year – you will instead have to wait until the end of this _current_ year, at which point your grades will be taken into account, and teams will be formed."

"That's bullshit." Jaune heard Cardin mutter, the boy still staring dead ahead. "We're being penalized? We _retrieved_ relics..."

Jaune didn't believe it was his place to respond. And it proved itself as not a good time to, as Ozpin continued to speak.

"Said students will also not be permitted to stay in Beacon's dorms. Instead, those of you without teams will be required to take up residence in Vale proper." Ozpin raised a hand, silencing the crowd's groans. "Where as a portion of your tuition fee would typically go towards living in the dorms, you will be refunded that amount. There will also be a consistent ferry service between Beacon and Vale, free to all Beacon's students."

 _Hey, that actually didn't seem half bad_.

A hand was raised, and Jaune turned to see it's owner. Weiss.

"Now then, there are a few of you who _completed_ initiation." Weiss' hand lowered, a look of frustration crossing the heiress' face. "You few will still be grouped into teams as per the norm. However, with only _three_ teams being able to be formed from the six pairs who'd grabbed relics, there are certain benefits for you as well."

 _So_... _we passed_?

Miss Goodwitch, as well as two other men who Jaune had to assume were professors stepped onto the stage, lining up in a short row behind the headmaster.

"With such a small number of teams – and thus, our pool of students able to participate in the Vytal Tournament _severely_ reduced – Beacon will be temporarily be reinstating it's ' _mentorship program_ ', in which each team is placed under one professor, in order to accelerate their growth. Not only will these teams be taught _personally_ by Beacon's finest, but they will also receive extra credit and specialized training, as seen fit by said instructor."

Jaune allowed his eyes to roam over the staff members behind the headmaster once more. There was Professor Goodwitch – whom Yang was likely _praying_ she didn't get; there was a tall, wiry professor with long green hair and round glasses... he seemed interesting... and there was a shorter, more _rotund_ man, but if Jaune knew anything, the fact that the red-clad man looked rather old, what with his gray hair and moustache, meant he was also _very_ experienced.

"Now then, without further ado, I will begin with the team assignments of the students who passed, based on their overall performance during initiation. Normally, the relic they would have retrieved would have a much greater impact, but with the majority of the relics being _destroyed_ , we will have to compromise."

 _Destroyed_?

Jaune looked further down the line, seeing Nora rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

 _Oh_. _Right_.

That... that means that this is his fault, isn't it?

 _Now_ the stares made a lot more sense.

"Sky Lark, Dove Bronzewing, Russel Thrush, and Cardin Winchester, please come up to the stage."

Cardin, as well as the three boys armed and lightly armored on the far side of him, climbed the steps that were a short distance to the side of the stage. All four of them stepped closer to the center of the stage, standing in the spotlight. A screen on the wall behind them showed their portraits, so that anyone too far from the stage could see them clearly.

"Henceforth, you will be known as Team _Cardinal,_ led by Cardin Winchester."At Ozpin's words, the name ' _CRDL_ ' appeared at the bottom of the screen, the portraits aligning each face with the corresponding initial of the owner's name. Jaune hoped that Cardin – despite not really knowing him – wouldn't let having his team named after him get to his head. "And, your mentor will be-"

"Such a fine collection of strapping young men, I must say..." The shorter, red clad professor spoke in a booming voice as he stepped forwards, easily drowning out the headmaster though he had no microphone. "Why, they remind me of _myself_ , when I was but a student. I would be honored to take charge of such potential, that I might shape it into the finest essence of a _**true**_ huntsman."

Ozpin looked to the professor who'd stepped forward, then at Team CRDL, then _back_ to the professor. The headmaster cleared his throat, before reiterating: "...And your mentor will be Professor Peter Port. Congratulations."

Applause broke out from all, prompting Jaune to bring his own hands together, clapping. The blond watched on, as the mustached professor gestured for the newly formed team to stand in a row at the back of the stage. Chances are they'd have to remain there until the ceremonies were done with.

Although, Jaune had no idea why the name _Port_ was so familiar.

"Now then, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren, and Ruby Rose, please come up to the stage."

To Jaune, it felt like the world _stopped_.

Ozpin... Ozpin _hadn't_ just said that, _had_ he? Ruby... _Rose_?

But... there was nothing else: Jaune knew what he'd heard; the world hadn't truly stopped, and everything became infinitely clear: Ruby, who'd been standing beside him, brushed past, moving towards the stairs with her red cloak billowing out behind her.

For a brief moment, Jaune was _lost._ He looked up to the stage, seeing Ozpin staring back at him. Though it was barely perceivable, Jaune thought he noticed the headmaster _nod_.

Jaune shivered. That... _really_ didn't help. The boy swiveled his head slightly, instead staring at girl he'd provided comfort to just a minute ago. Her silver eyes met his, and she smiled.

"From this day forward, you will be known as Team _Pearl_ , led by Pyrrha Nikos." The same thing happened again on the screen, the letters ' _PBRL'_ appearing, and the portraits of it's members lining up in order. "Your team's mentor will be Doctor Bartolomeo Oobleck."

Jaune was too out of it to notice Yang visibly deflate – he couldn't even fathom _why_. There was something else entirely that was on his mind:

Was Ruby... his _cousin_? Step _sister_? ...Hell, he thought her name was _Ruby Xiao Long_ , like _Yang_...

Jaune shook it off, completely missing whatever it was the green haired professor had said. His mind was a _mess_.

"Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Yang Xiao Long, and Weiss Schnee to the stage please."

Nora and Weiss passed Jaune, both giving him an odd look. It took a nudge from Yang to _actually_ get the boy to move, and he did so with jagged steps and hunched shoulders. It was only when Jaune was practically blinded by the spotlight he stepped into that he remembered exactly where he was and corrected his posture.

"From this day forward, you are all members of Team _Jaune_ , led by Jaune Arc."

 _Team Jaune?_ Wait, _Led_ _by_? Jaune turned, facing the screen. His portrait was at the far left, followed by those of his teammates, ' _JWYN_ ' in a simple font underneath.

"Your mentor is, of course, Professor Glynda Goodwitch. _Congratulations_."

…

It was short, probably only lasting one second... it was totally uncalled for and _unnecessary_ – but he couldn't hold it in.

Jaune Arc laughed.

* * *

Walking down the halls of Beacon, following _her_ team, Weiss had to suppress her impulse to cringe. It wasn't too hard, the heiress having to do something very similar at practically _every_ dinner party she'd ever had to attend at her father's behest.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay Jaune?" The taller, buxom, and feminine blonde of the team asked, leaning forwards to get a better view of Weiss' ' _leader_ ' _s_ ' face. While it was an action that wouldn't normally draw much ire out of Weiss, given the... _previous actions_ of the two teens... Weiss saw it as nothing more than uncultured and _brash_.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Weiss practically scoffed at the boy's response, managing to keep it to herself. Even not knowing or having any sort of interest in him, Jaune practically oozed that he wasn't ' _fine_ '.

"Are you sure?" Yang's voice started off very sweet and sincere, before she practically growled through her clenched teeth. " _Because_ the Jaune I know wouldn't have _laughed_ during such an _important ceremony_." Weiss could see the girl's grip on the boy's wrist tighten.

...Well, _that_ was different...

"I'm fine _now_!" Jaune seethed, attempting to shake himself out of Yang's grip, but failing. With a sigh, the girl released Jaune, crossing her arms defiantly. "We can talk about this in our dorm." Jaune grumbled.

"We'd _better_. It seems we have a _lot_ we need to talk about, recently."

Weiss turned to her partner, Nora. The girl gave her an awkward smile and a shrug in response.

 _Great._

It wasn't long before Team JWYN was standing in front of their dormitory. Yang, being closest to the scanner, swiped her scroll, the door clicking open. The four of them stepped into the room, surveying their surroundings.

Four beds were arranged symmetrically, two on either side of the room. Weiss noticed that, even closed, their window provided an excellent view of Beacon's docks and courtyard. There were three doors inside, which the heiress assumed were a washroom and two closets.

It was rather modest, but so long as her team afforded her the space she needed, Weiss supposed it would work.

It took mere seconds for the room to devolve into chaos.

" _Dibs_!" Was the last thing Weiss had expected to hear from her partner, the orange haired girl practically leaping into the bed in the far left of the room. The girl let out a blissful sigh, melting into the sheets.

The other three members of JWYN stared, before glancing at each other.

"I suppose I should take _that_ bed then?" Jaune asked, pointing to the bed in the far right corner. Probably the one thing the blond had said that Weiss actually agreed with.

"Not a chance, Jaune. That's _mine_!" Mirroring Nora, Yang leapt forwards, landing on the bed Jaune had indicated. Rolling over onto her side, her legs crossed while propping her head up with one of her arms, Yang winked at both Jaune _and_ Weiss. "Unless anyone feels like _sharing_?"

"Not a chance." Weiss – and to Weiss' surprise, Jaune – replied. The two looked to each other, before the boy sighed. Jaune gestured towards the two remaining beds, situated in the middle. "I suppose as leader, I'll let you decide which one you'd rather have."

The offering surprised Weiss. She'd certainly not been expecting that kind of courtesy from the boy. "… Thank you. I'll take the one on the left."

Jaune nodded. "Sounds good to me." Turning, the boy gestured towards the large collection of bags in the corner of the room. The fact that most of them were hers wasn't lost on Weiss. "Seeing as they brought our luggage to our room, our first order of business should probably be unpack-"

A knock at the door interrupted what Weiss believed was going to be the second most intelligent thing she thought the blond would ever say. All the eyes in the room turned to the source of the distraction.

Jaune moved towards the door, opening it slightly at first – likely to see who it was – and then fully.

The leader of JWYN was pushed aside, as _Nora_ ran out the door, practically jumping on top of one of the members of PBRL, Pyrrha's team.

Everyone, Weiss included, endeavored to ignore what occurring between Nora and the other boy. The heiress turned to the two leaders of the teams, as they greeted each other. "Uh... hey?"

"Hello." Pyrrha smiled, the expression remaining on the girls face even as she was lightly pushed aside, someone clad in red and black and _all too familiar_ making her way in.

"Hey Jaune!" The girl exclaimed, walking through room as if she owned it. "Hey Yang! Your guys' room is nice _too_! I thought it was just ours."

Weiss grit her teeth, about to chew the younger girl out before she remembered that she was... _vastly_ outnumbered when it came to allies. But, as she scanned the expressions of the others, she noticed something... off about her leader: he seemed really, _really_ tense.

Almost the same way he'd been on stage, earlier.

"Come... come on in."

It didn't take long, but eventually all eight teens from initiation were packed into JWYN's dorm. Nora and the boy named Ren sat on her bed, the former chatting away while the latter listened with interest. Blake took a seat at the desk provided for the room – not that anyone really seemed to mind. Pyrrha had been dragged away by Ruby – that was the black and red girl's name, Weiss remembered – to talk with Jaune and Yang.

And that left Weiss standing there.

She turned to Blake, the girl reading a novel she must have had on her when they entered the room. Though she was interested in exactly what the girl's issue with her had been earlier, it would have been rude to interrupt her - and probably rude to _ask_ as well. In the back of Weiss' mind, she figured it wasn't exactly nice of the girl to be reading in the company of others either, but she refused to voice that thought.

While Weiss wanted to go and learn more about her new partner, when she looked over at Nora and Ren talking, they just seemed... _unapproachable_ – an odd assessment, as Weiss was a _Schnee_ , but the heiress couldn't help but feel like if she sat down on her own bed across from them, she'd be nothing more than a _spectator_.

Then, the heiress turned towards the foursome, introductions likely being made between the two pairs of partners. While she was used to being the center of attention – at least with regards to certain things – she _knew_ that if she walked over there, she'd become the center of attention in a _bad_ way.

The heiress sighed, instead turning to her _last_ option, barring the choice of leaving the room: her luggage.

Well, it _had_ been a good suggestion, even if it went unsaid.

* * *

"So wait, you thought Ruby was Ruby _Xiao Long_?" Yang asked, a mischievous grin adorning her face.

Jaune nodded, albeit uncertainly. "Yeah, I don't know... I just figured that was her name, seeing as she's your younger sister, and your dad's name is Xiao Long too..."

"Well, it's not all that big of a mix up, now is it?" Ruby noted, smiling the innocent little smile she always did.

 _Actually, it is._ Jaune thought to himself. After all, because of the 'mix up', Jaune was having quite possibly the biggest crisis of his life. "So... why's it Rose?"

"Gee, Jaune, didn't we talk about this before?" Yang elbowed Jaune lightly in the side. "You know all about our mother, Summer, right?"

Jaune looked at Yang as if she'd grown a second head – or at least, that's what Jaune was _attempting_ to do. _Did she just say Summer_? "Uh... well, we both know my memory isn't the greatest...?"

"You know, that one day when your doorknob exploded and I had to patch you up and-"

"Yeah, I remember that day..." Jaune confirmed, trying to cut Yang off as politely as he could. "But I don't remember anything about... Oh."

Jaune _did_ remember: the feeling of Yang's hair, still slightly damp from the rain. He remembered brushing it, Yang sitting cross-legged in front of him. ' _Summer... I've cared for my own hair ever since, in her memory_.'

"No, I remember now... Did you ever refer to her as Summer _Rose_ though?"

Yang put a finger to her chin. "Now that you mention it, I don't think I did." The blonde shook her head. "Whatever, you know now, and that's what matters, isn't it?"

Jaune shrugged. "I guess so..."

But on the inside, Jaune was still in turmoil. If Summer was Ruby's mom... Then that made Ruby and Yang his cousins. He'd already been at the point where he'd treated them like his own sisters – they were already family to him.

"So!" Ruby clapped her hands together. "With that confusion cleared up, it's time to get to introductions; Yang, Jaune, this is my partner Pyrrha."

The redhead who'd been standing quietly as the others conversed waved her hand. "Hello again!"

"Pyrrha, this is my sister Yang, and her boyfriend Jaune!"

" _Ruby_! We're not like that!" Yang denied. Jaune noticed Pyrrha turn to him, and Jaune simply shook his head no.

They weren't like that. Sometimes, though, it felt like he had to remind himself that every day. "Yeah, we were friends back in Signal, we're still friends now. We're close, and Ruby likes to read into that a _bit too much_... but I can see where she's coming from."

Yang's head turned quickly. " _Jaune_!"

"But!" Jaune added quickly, lest Yang strangle him – her face was already turning red with anger. "There's nothing like that between us."

Yang's anger seemed to die as quickly as it came. The girl adopted a rather neutral expression, turning back to Pyrrha. "Yeah. _Exactly_ what he said."

There was something in Yang's words that Jaune didn't quite pick up on, but he ignored it in favor of focusing more on Pyrrha, the girl watching them with interest.

"I see. So... you both went to Signal then?"

"Yep!" Ruby answered for them. "All three of us did, actually. Yang graduated as valedictorian, while Jaune was sal- _salu_ - _salad_ -"

" _Salutatorian_ , Ruby." The girl blushed, Jaune helping her. "Are you from one of Vale's other combat schools then, Pyrrha?"

The redhead smiled widely. "Actually, no. I'm from Sanctum, back in Mistral."

"Ooooh, I've heard good things about Mistral, Sanctum in particular. It's somewhere at the same level as Signal." Yang interjected, nodding. "How'd you do there?"

"Valedictorian – top of the class, like yourself." Jaune wasn't sure if the girl was smiling smugly, or honestly.

Jaune returned the smile with just as much heart as his words. "You must be quite something then. Maybe you and Yang should spar someday?"

The redhead bowed her head slightly. "Someday. We'll probably get put against each other in combat class once or twice, considering our relative standings."

Jaune nodded. That made sense. In his peripheral, Jaune noticed that Ruby was practically bouncing on the spot, looking as if she had something else to say. At some point, Ruby decided she couldn't hold it in anymore:

"Pyrrha's also the current champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament! She's had her title for _four_ years! Isn't that cool?"

"Wow, that _is_ impressive." Yang stated, placing her hands on her hips. Jaune didn't have a clue what they were talking about. "You hear that Jaune?"

 _Ah, crap, how was he supposed to respond_? "Uh... I _guess_? I mean, I've never followed competitive fighting very much... I think it's a waste."

Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow at that. _Oh great, now I've offended her. Good job, genius_. "A waste?" She asked, leaning a little closer.

"Well..." Jaune started, still trying to map out exactly what he was going to say, "I mean, there are such talented fighters, especially the older ones. I just... sort of think that, um, they'd be spending their time more wisely fighting on the frontlines instead - fighting Grimm. Like, they could be using their skills for something _more_."

The other three were silent as they processed Jaune's words.

Pyrrha responded quickly, however. "I agree. That's, well, part of the reason I'm here, actually."

Jaune looked up, meeting the girl's green eyes. "Yeah?"

"Well, I _am_ here to learn how to be a proper huntress... but I'm also here to _fight_." The smile on Pyrrha's face was one that Jaune hadn't seen in a _very_ long time – one that would've looked right at home on Yang's face. "Beacon's home to the best of the best – I'm here to test that for myself."

 _This girl_...

Ruby looked _confused,_ but Jaune took Pyrrha's words for exactly what they were: a challenge.

Jaune held out a hand to Pyrrha, which the girl took immediately. "In that case, I'm looking forward to fighting you, Pyrrha."

The girl's smile seemed to grow, even as her grip strengthened. "As am I."

Jaune... didn't really keep track of how long they stood there, shaking hands, but it must have been a while if _Yang_ was the one who'd separated them. "Okay, okay, we get it Jaune. Anyways," her voice raised so all could hear her, "it's getting late, _I_ want to shower, and I'm sure we're _all_ dead tired from initiation and the ceremonies today, so why don't we _all_ get an early night?"

… at least Yang was _trying_ to be polite in kicking everyone out. Jaune stifled a yawn, silently agreeing with the girl. It wasn't exactly _like_ Yang to want to sleep so early, but he could see where she was coming from.

Sitting at their room's desk, Blake clapped her book shut before standing, being the first to leave the room. She waved at Jaune and Yang as she left – a wave they both returned. Nora and Ren parted next, though it took some serious stealth on the boy's behalf in order to get out unnoticed while Nora continued to talk. Ruby and Pyrrha were the last out, the shorter girl chatting with the redheaded champion as the left, the latter closing the door behind her, waving.

Jaune clapped his hands together once, his team the only ones left in the room, "Okay, so... unpacking?"

"Already done." Weiss commented, inspecting her nails.

"I'll do it in the morning." Yang stated from behind the _now closed_ washroom door. Jaune heard the shower tap turn on.

"Wait, where'd Ren go?"

Jaune sighed, suddenly feeling even _more_ tired. "You know what? I don't even care, we can talk about stuff in the morning." The boy motioned to remove his shirt, before an icy blue stare stopped him in his tracks. "What?"

"No way in _hell_ you're getting _changed_ in front of us." Weiss seethed, pointing between her and Nora. Her tone and glare left no room for argument.

Jaune held his hands up above his head, attempting to placate the girl with the universal signal for 'surrender'. "Alright, so what am I supposed to do then, snow angel?"

The girl's glare grew even more intense. _Oh._ _Whoops_.

"I _told you_ to _never_ call me that!" Weiss yelled.

"Sorry, _sorry_! It just sort of slipped out! It's been a long day." Jaune apologized.

At that moment, the door opened behind Jaune, the boy only just realizing that the shower had been off. "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

That hadn't been _nearly_ long enough for Yang to have actually had a shower – she must have heard something going on, and decided to investigate. Jaune turned towards his partner, before bringing an arm up to his eyes, squeezing them shut while blushing furiously. "What _the hell Yang_!"

" _Nice rack_."

"...Thanks, Nora." Jaune heard from in front of him. "Now I'll repeat myself, what the _hell_ is going on here?"

"Jaune here was about to get changed." Nora responded in an even tone. "I'm assuming Weiss is angry at him because we haven't even set ground rules on things like privacy or anything, and she was likely uncomfortable with Jaune just taking his shirt off in the middle of the room like that."

Jaune wasn't sure at what point the window had been opened, but a low whistle sounded as a gust of wind blew through the room.

Weiss coughed lightly. "That's... yeah, that's right. How did you...?"

"I'm good with people. Don't ask."

Jaune heard a scoff from in front of him. "Jaune, don't just stand there covering your eyes, we're having a serious conversation here." Yang called out.

Jaune lowered his arm, slowly blinking his eyes open. The moment he brought his head up, Jaune had to cover his eyes once more. "Gods Yang, _why haven't you_ _covered yourself yet_!"

" _...Seriously_? At this point I don't care anymore, but I'll do it for you." A light rustling of cloth later, and Yang gave him the go ahead. "Alright, it's safe now."

Jaune looked up, satisfied that Yang was at least wrapped up in a towel. He turned to face the center of the room, clearing his throat before talking. "Okay, as leader, I am making my first 'executive decision': Weiss, _you_ are in charge of creating the rules for our team. If anyone has any rules they'd like for us _all_ to abide by, please speak them now. Otherwise..."

The SDC heiress seemed to be visibly shocked by what Jaune had said, but she recovered quickly. "Okay... so, do you want me to write up a... contract or something?"

Jaune rubbed at his face, contemplating that. "As long as you keep it less than five pages, do _whatever_. But please be... _fair_?"

"Of course."

Jaune looked to the other two members of his team. "Anything you guys want Weiss to add?"

Both Yang and even _Nora_ had been caught off guard. Yang was of course, the first to answer. "I guess I'll wait and see what she writes down. I'm going to have my shower now... I'd _better_ not be interrupted."

"Understood."

The door to the washroom practically slammed shut. Nora gave a light chuckle, and Jaune looked over to her, thinking she had a rule to add.

" _Women_ , am I right?"

Jaune opened his mouth to respond to that, but then decided losing _brain cells_ wasn't worth the effort. Instead, fully clothed and armored, Jaune laid down on his bed. "I'm so _done_ with today."

And, with those words said, the blond passed out.

* * *

 **And that is the conclusion of Initiation. Probably the most difficult three chapters for me to write, all things considered. It was more of me wanting to do specific things, and then trying to find a way to work around those. Artificial Difficulty, in other words.**

 **Teams are fine. Like I think I might have mentioned in one of the last chapter's ANs, these teams have been around since December. We're finally getting into the good stuff.**

 **Let me know if you guys find something that's inconsistent or anything like that. The more mistakes you guys point out now, the better a writer I'll become, and the better content I'll be able to bring to the table.**

 **See you soon!**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	25. Family

**Hey everyone, how're things?**

 **For anyone who's sent in a review recently that I probably _should_ have responded to, if I haven't, it's because the reviews are taking an unusually long time to be posted - I'm not sure if it's just the site having problems in general, or if it's just me. I'm not going to answer anything here, but I haven't been ignoring you; I've just been unable to get back to you.**

 **With that said, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"So... this is the room, right?" Jaune asked, looking up from his scroll to the sign above the door.

Yang nodded, checking her own scroll for reference. She wouldn't have put it past Jaune to somehow get them all lost on their first official day at Beacon. "Yeah, room two-four-three, Professor Port's Grimm Studies." The blonde then proceeded to check the time on her scroll as well. She frowned, turning to her white haired teammate. "We're like, thirty minutes early Weiss. I _could_ have slept in longer."

The Schnee sighed, looking as irritable as ever. "What's rule number three again?"

" _Be punctual_." All three remaining members of team JWYN answered, with very little variance in their degrees of enthusiasm.

"Right, so let's head inside and make sure we get _good_ seats." Weiss offered chipperly.

Jaune nodded hesitantly, before he pushed through the door. Shrugging, Yang followed close behind. The room had no one else inside, and the automatic lights flickered on once they detected someone enter.

Weiss, with more pep in her step than Yang had seen before, went straight for the front row, striding over with excitement.

Then, with a guttural growl, the cage that Weiss had been just about to pass by shook violently. The heiress' skin turned as white – if not whiter – than her dress, and she jumped as far away as she could, utilizing what Yang could only assume was her semblance.

While Weiss was busy getting as far away from the cage as possible, Jaune, Yang, and Nora settled into fighting stances reactively, placing themselves between the threat and their frightened teammate.

The cage continued to shake vigorously, shrouded in darkness, but it showed no signs of opening. After a moment, Jaune seemed to relax, lowering his fists with Yang and Nora following suit.

" _Aha_! Sorry about that my young students!" The same booming voice from the team assignments the other day seemed to roar louder than the rattling of the cage. "I'm not surprised you didn't notice it; it has been rather quiet for the past hour or so... I think getting too close might have spooked it a bit."

"Spooked it?" Weiss whispered, stepping forwards, sounding extremely peeved, "Spooked _it_?"

Yang placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. She seemed to calm at that, still shuddering within Yang's grip. Internally, the blonde cursed her luck; Weiss had seemed... _less_ bitchy earlier – no doubt this just completely ruined her day.

The first thing Yang noticed as the professor walked forwards, was that he'd been wearing the same red, military-esque uniform as the other day. Words were scrawled on the chalkboard behind him, almost illegible written in the man's handwriting. Seeing the man's moustache curl slightly as he smiled, Yang shook her head.

There was no way that this man was Sherry's husband. She refused to accept it. He just looked so... _old_.

"Professor Port..." Jaune stated the man's name, as if tasting it. " _Wait a minute..._ "

 _Please, Jaune, please... don't ruin this for me_...

"You're Sherry's _husband_?"

The man seemed to perk up at that – more 'perked' than he already had been. "Why yes indeed!"

 _Noooooo_.

"And you're Jaune Arc. My wife has told me plenty about you – good things, of course." The man's smile seemed to grow. He stepped forwards, taking Jaune's hand to shake. "Killing a fully matured Deathstalker on your own at such a young age... I must say, it's very impressive."

While Yang watched, slightly dazed as the older man and her partner shared words, Weiss leaned in a little closer – still a little shaken up by whatever was inside the cage. "What're they talking about?"

Weiss _tone_ was a little more... hostile compared to earlier, but Yang smiled all the same. There was no reason to actively antagonize Weiss, or give her any more reason to be pissed; for now, she figured they could get along. Yang closed her eyes, and she felt like she was there again.

"Professor Port's wife, Sherry, accompanied Jaune and I on our graduation mission from Signal. We were assigned to hunt Grimm around a small village named Nyurse."

"Nyurse?" Weiss questioned. "Like, 'The Nyurse Tragedy'? That _Nyurse_?"

Yang nodded, not surprised Weiss had heard of what occurred in Nyurse. While the newscasters had tried to 'dumb down' the impact of the events, the fact that an entire village practically sunk into the ground wasn't exactly something they could keep quiet. "Yeah. Even Nora was there, when everything went to hell. That's where we met her."

Humming, Weiss turned to her own partner – currently in a staring contest with what appeared to be a solid gold bust of Professor Port himself.

...Why the _hell_ did the professor have that?

"And what was that about the Deathstalker?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, _that_." Yang had to try her hardest to keep her grin from splitting her face in two. "There was a Deathstalker that snuck up on us. Jaune killed it in two shots of his rifle."

Weiss blinked. "That's impressive. I'll have to-"

"Aha, that's a good one, my boy!" Jaune received a pat on the shoulder from the professor, the man's voice drowning everything else out. For a brief moment, Yang even thought she saw Jaune's Aura shimmer. "But I must say, this is quite the impressive team you have here... After all, to move with such coordination but a day after initiation... quite impressive indeed."

Yang quirked an eyebrow at that. "Sorry?"

"Why, Miss Schnee here did exactly what she should have done in her situation: She put distance between herself and her would-be assailant, while her teammates rushed to defend her. If this was a combat scenario, I'd have awarded full marks."

Even if Yang wanted to argue that Weiss had ran more out of shock than anything, she wouldn't have had room to as the professor continued speaking. "Mr. Arc took the head of the formation, Miss Valkyrie on his left, and you yourself, Miss Xiao Long on his right. Not only would you have been able to engage the enemy on your own terms, but Miss Schnee would have been given ample time to prepare herself for the fight as well. As I said... full marks. I can see why you all passed initiation."

Yang opened her mouth to comment, but decided against it.

Weiss wound up being the one to break the awkward silence that settled in after the professor finished speaking. "Well... We're all looking forward to learning from you, Professor Port!"

"And I'm looking forward to learning from you all as well! Please, have a seat. The other students should be arriving shortly." The portly professor turned back to the board, cursing after he snapped a stick of chalk. He pulled another one from his chest pocket, continuing to write whatever he had been before.

 _What an odd teacher..._ _At least his classes won't be too boring._

* * *

Jaune winced as Nora's head collided with the desk. As gently as he could, he gave her a shake.

Nope, she was out cold.

 _Just another casualty_.

Jaune looked around, confirming that, yet again, there were many other students who seemed to share Nora's fate: there were more than a couple 'empty' seats, their previous occupants likely having falling off their chairs when they passed out. Some students were on their scrolls, passing time as they waited for the end of class. Jaune could have sworn he'd even seen someone _leave_.

"Of course, the beast thought it had me cornered... but I wasn't trapped in the hole with it: _it_ was trapped in there with _me_."

Not that the professor would notice them anyways.

The blond suppressed a sigh, turning to Yang. At least _she_ was awake, though her eyes roamed all around the room – anywhere but the professor before them. It seemed like Weiss, seated on the other side of Yang, was rigorously taking notes. Jaune was impressed at her tenacity; he'd already long given up on trying write down anything the professor said.

He was still listening, at least... just _selectively_.

Something caught Jaune's eye: the movement of a pen from beside him, as Yang began writing _herself_. Once it seemed like she was finished, she slid the scrap of paper towards Jaune. The boy looked down at it, before looking back up to Yang curiously.

 _Passing notes_?

Jaune reached over, pulling the note closer towards himself. He read it quickly.

' _We haven't had any time alone. Is Weiss the one from Atlas_?'

Jaune rubbed at his jaw. He was rather certain that Yang wasn't just asking for trivia; of _course_ Weiss was from Atlas.

What Yang was really asking, was if Weiss was the same girl who'd been at the Schnee lab – the one who'd been at Jaune's side while he'd fought the White Fang. Jaune hadn't really said anything about her, but then again, he'd never really had a chance.

All Yang knew was that she was a Schnee; and thus, one of two sisters.

' _Yes, it was Weiss. She's a really good fighter._ ' Jaune wrote, sliding the note back to Yang.

It didn't take long for the blonde to write her response. ' _Why the hostility_?'

Jaune scratched out a quick ' _I don't know_ ', before sending the paper back Yang's way. The heiress had seemed more than friendly enough when Jaune was saving her life.

Maybe this was what she was really like? Rude, unapproachable, _and_ cold? Jaune didn't want to believe it.

It took Yang a little longer before she wrote anything down this time – between having to hide what she was writing from both Professor Port in front of her _and_ Weiss on her right, she likely needed to be extremely cautious.

Finally, ' _Do you want me to talk to her_? _Tell her it was you_?'

Jaune winced, re-reading the message. Approaching Weiss about what had happened in Atlas had been at the forefront of Jaune's mind ever since he'd seen the girl at the beginning of initiation. When he'd introduced himself to her at the temple, she hadn't recognized him – hell, she'd been outright _hostile_ towards him.

If it would have been difficult to tell her then, it was probably worse now that they were teammates.

After all, what was he supposed to say? He couldn't just outright say he was at the lab that day - that he'd been the one fighting at her side.

...Or could he?

The blond grit his teeth, hastily writing out his intentions. ' _I'll take care of it myself, don't worry_.'

Yang nodded upon receiving the note, crumpling it up and stuffing it in her pocket. Watching Yang do just that, Jaune considered another little 'problem' he had to deal with.

The leader of JWYN tore a small piece of paper from his own notebook, writing quickly. ' _I need to talk to you and Ruby about something important_. _Alone, if possible_. _Think you can arrange that_?'

Jaune hesitated for a moment, before sliding the piece of paper over to Yang. The girl looked at the piece of paper, before picking it up, gently folding it, and then putting it in her pocket.

 _Alright,_ _That settles that_. Jaune turned his eyes back to Professor Port, intent on at least paying attention to what little of his lesson remained.

"… A true Huntsman must be _dependable_! A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and _wise_!" The professor's back seemed to straighten, standing taller with every spoken word. "Are there any among you who believe themselves the embodiment of these traits?

There was a brief moment of silence, before a girl's voice called from a couple rows behind Jaune. "I do, professor!"

 _Hold on..._

"I figured you'd be the one to volunteer, Miss Rose. I've already seen your valor personally, but I suppose you'll set a good example for the others. Come on down here."

Both Jaune and Yang watched on, mouths agape as Ruby skipped down the steps. "Hi guys!" She waved as she went to stand next to Professor Port, grinning all the while.

"So... uhh..." Yang leaned a little closer to Jaune. "Did you know Ruby was in this class?"

* * *

"So, Yang... this Ruby is your sister?" Weiss asked, watching as the girl strode back into the room, dressed in her combat skirt with her weapon just barely hidden beneath her cloak. Professor Port had sent her to go get changed and to bring her weapon back with her, apologizing for the delay. The professor also mentioned that this would be the only time he'd send someone out to retrieve their gear – all their other lessons were meant to be theory, not practical. Since it was the first day, he claimed he wanted to do something 'fun' and 'inventive'.

Of course, Weiss' idea of fun and inventive was _not_ bringing a live Grimm into the classroom.

The heiress glared hatefully at the cage, wishing upon it's occupant only the worst. Since her ...scare just before class started, she'd kept an eye on the cage whenever she could afford to: Weiss even considered volunteering as the 'embodiment of the traits of a Huntsman' that the Professor had gone on about, knowing she'd be facing off against whatever was contained. But in the end... Ruby had beaten her to it.

"Yeah, she's my little sister alright." Yang had a proud smile on her face, watching as Ruby's weapon took form – the vicious looking scythe Weiss had seen the day of initiation.

"Little sister?" Weiss inquired.

"By two years. Oh, don't tell her I told you that." Yang chuckled. "She thinks it's embarrassing."

Weiss hummed, watching as the scythe wielder prepared for her fight against the Grimm in the cage. "Well, it explains how immature she was acting."

" _Excuse_ me?"

Weiss turned, matching Yang's glare for a few seconds, before sighing. " _Sorry_ , that's not what I meant. Your sister and I had a little disagreement before initiation." The heiress didn't mention that said disagreement was about Yang and Jaune's actions prior – something Weiss had addressed when they'd gone over the rules she wrote up in the morning. "I said a few things, she took offense to them and... We both handled it poorly."

Yang slowly turned her head forwards, watching Weiss out of the corner of her eye. The blonde crossed her arms as a show of defiance – and as a sign that she still wasn't pleased.

 _Rule number two, Weiss_ : _Any arguments will be handled in the dorm room – never in the halls, never in class_.

Weiss definitely wasn't looking forward to the afternoon. And she figured they were getting along so well.

...she just had to open her mouth, didn't she?

"Are you ready, Miss Rose?"

"I was born ready, Professor!"

Professor Port's head reared back with a great laugh. "Such spirit! Such _valor_!" The man raised his... axe, gun- whatever _it_ was... and brought it down on the cage's lock.

The door swung open slowly, the hinges creaking. Out strode a beast that Weiss most certainly wasn't familiar with.

"What is that?" The heiress wondered aloud, under her breath.

"I..." Yang made to respond. "I _actually_ don't know. Jaune?"

Both Weiss and Yang turned to their leader, the boy watching the beast with scrutiny. "It's a Boarbatusk."

"Boarba-who?"

" _Boarbatusk_ , Yang. I mean, _come on_ : it says it right there on the chalkboard. We've even fought them before!"

Weiss looked to said chalkboard, comparing the diagram drawn beneath the word 'Boarbatusk' to the real thing mere meters away. "… Indeed it does."

She wished she could read the notes written beneath the diagram – no doubt there was some crucial information there.

"So, how's Ruby going to kill it?"

Weiss tilted her head quizzically at Yang's question. "She's _your_ sister, shouldn't you know?"

"Well, you've been paying attention to the professor, haven't you? Shouldn't _you_ know?"

The heiress grimaced. "He didn't say anything about a Boarbatusk!"

The Grimm, with a great roar, dashed towards Ruby. Weiss watched on, as the girl rolled to the side quickly, moving out of it's path.

"A _Boarbatusk..._ " The two girl's turned towards their leader, the boy speaking as if he was lecturing, leaning back in his chair while watching the fight before them. "Is rather heavily armored. It's eyes, mouth, and stomach are all vulnerable, but difficult to get to. The hide on the rear end is weaker than the rest, but still tough enough that it'd be easier to go for one of the less protected areas. Boarbatusks are generally rather predictable, but they're still very dangerous - especially in numbers."

The heiress continued to watch on, the Boarbatusk charging Ruby once more. This time the girl waited longer before she moved, dodging at the last second, scythe moving as she attempted to score a hit on the beast - though there was contact, there was no damage. As Jaune said, it's armor was strong. "How's she going to kill it?" Weiss asked, repeating Yang's question.

"Ruby knows," Jaune stated, "and that's what matters. We'll see shortly."

Weiss frowned, having expected an actual answer from the blond. She turned back to the fight. The boarbatusk charged Ruby _again_ – Weiss beginning to see exactly how predictable the beast could be.

"I'm surprised it hasn't done any rolling yet." Nora commented, yawning.

Weiss looked past the two blondes in the middle to see her partner stretching, arms high in the air. "What do you mean, 'rolling'?"

"Oh! Sometimes, a Boarbatusk will tuck itself into a ball, then it'll start rolling." Nora nodded proudly. "I hit one with Magnhild once – when it was rolling. Totally _killed_ it, but my arms were sore for _hours_ afterwards."

"So... it's _weaker_ when it's rolling?" Weiss asked, assuming Magnhild was the massive hammer her partner wielded.

"Hell no." Jaune shook his head vehemently. "If anything, it should be even harder to kill."

Weiss stared at Nora.

The girl shrugged, smiling all the while. "Yeah, I'm _awesome_."

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing at her temples. _I'm surrounded by idiots_...

The crack of a shot being fired brought the heiress' eyes back open – there was no visible wound, no grunt of pain or any sign of distress from the boar-like Grimm. Ruby, however, was on the complete other end of the room than she was before, cloak billowing behind her.

"Don't blink guys... you'll want to see this." Yang informed, a vicious grin on her face.

Ruby pulled back on the bolt of her sniper-scythe, the spent casing skipping across the ground. The Boarbatusk snorted, looking left to right. It turned fully, letting out a louder snort when it spotted Ruby again. Dragging a paw across the floor, the boar growled deeply.

"Oh, it's gonna roll!"

Weiss ignored Nora's cheer, instead glancing between Ruby and her 'prey'. The boar leapt – higher than the heiress thought was possible – curling up before beginning to roll. Within seconds the Boarbatusk closed the distance between where it had been and Ruby.

Another rifle shot, and Ruby, who'd been square in the path of the Boarbatusk, simply disappeared. The Boarbatusk slammed into the wall behind where Ruby was standing. _Hard_.

Weiss looked, left, then right. No sign of the girl.

"Look up!" someone called from the back. Weiss did so.

Ruby fired, although this time Weiss was able to follow the younger girl's movement. She descended quickly, landing atop the dazed Boarbatusk's back in a crouch. Before the boar could react, the cloaked girl swung her scythe around, bringing the segmented blades to rest beneath the beast's neck.

With the loud crack of another round being fired, the Boarbatusk was decapitated cleanly, the head making a dull thud as it impacted the ground. Ruby landed softly a couple feet back, turning towards the rest of the class.

There was no posturing, no cheering... there wasn't even a smile on the girl's face: just silent resolve, standing there as her scythe whirred, folding up.

If Weiss was being honest, it was actually a little intimidating.

" _Oho_ , well done Miss Rose! I'm sure that with four more years under your belt, you'll make a fine Huntress indeed!"

Ruby grinned. "Thank you, professor."

Professor Port turned, regarding the class as a whole once more. "That's all the time we have today. Hone your skills as students here at Beacon, and you will _all_ be exceptional Huntsmen and Huntresses in no time. Class dismissed."

There was a brief moment of inaction, before students began filing out of class. Weiss glanced around. Ruby was chatting amicably with Professor Port… It sounded like Jaune was explaining the physics of what just happened to Yang and Nora…

Maybe… just _maybe_... she'd been wrong about them. About Beacon.

* * *

"Yang, you can't argue with me on this." Jaune stated firmly. "No matter what you might think is right, your _heart_ knows different."

"That's where you're wrong, Jaune. You've been blinded; you're only trusting what you see with your own two eyes… you're not _thinking -_ not reading between the lines."

Jaune shook his head in denial. There was no way he was wrong – it was inconceivable.

"I _wasn't_ wrong." Jaune heard from his right. Both him and Yang turned to see Weiss staring at them in disbelief, getting their attention despite not being involved in his and Yang's debate. "The one time I wish I was wrong, but I _wasn't_."

"What?" Jaune asked, not sure what the Schnee heiress was going on about.

"Nothing." Weiss dismissed with a huff. The girl glanced towards their dorm room's window, and then down to her scroll. "It's starting to get late, we should probably go get something to eat."

Jaune nodded. _That_ sounded reasonable.

"You and Nora can go ahead, actually." Yang recommended. "I actually need to talk to Jaune about something important, so we'll catch up."

Weiss looked doubtful for a second. "Are you seriously going to stay behind to talk about... _literature_?" She spoke the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "So long as you guys remember rule number _one_."

Jaune looked down in embarrassment, shading his eyes while Yang protested loudly. "Come _on,_ seriously? We told you that was _not_ what you think it was!"

"Then there should be no problems." Weiss stated matter-of-factly, stepping out the door, Nora on her heels.

" _You're damn right there's going to be no problems_..." Yang muttered just after the door closed.

" _Yang_..." Jaune grumbled. "Just let it go. It's our fault anyways..."

Yang looked affronted, holding her arms out wide in protest. "What do you mean 'just let it go'? She has got to be the _bitchiest_ , most inconsiderate person I've ever met! It doesn't help that she's completely fine one moment, and _snarky_ the next!"

"Look, just give her time, okay?" Jaune suggested, encouraging harmony. Even if he wasn't leader of his team – where it was pretty much his _job_ to make sure everyone cooperated – he'd still have wanted them to get along. _Hell_ , he didn't know why they were fighting in the first place. "If it becomes too much of an issue, I'll deal with it."

"I want your word on that, Jaune." Yang's eyes narrowed.

"You aren't going to need it." Jaune retorted, glaring back in return. The blond had no clue what Yang's problem wa- _oh..._ "This is because Riko is better than Mei, right?"

Her glare seemed to only intensify. "You're _still_ wrong. Riko has absolutely _no_ actual character development." Yang stated falsely.

"Yeah whatever." Jaune redirected. Their earlier debate had him tired out – he wasn't ready for round two yet. "You wanted to talk about something?"

The brawler took out her scroll, tapping away at it for a couple of seconds. She sat on the floor in the middle of the room, leaning back so she rested against Jaune's mattress. "Well, _you're_ the one who wanted to talk about something."

Jaune tilted his head in confusion. There was a rapid knock at the door.

 _...Oh_.

Jaune swallowed. He... he wasn't _ready_. "I guess I'll get it."

Yang hummed, even as Jaune walked towards the door. With a deep breath, Jaune pulled it open.

Before Jaune could even greet her, Ruby came running in, practically hopping on top of Yang. The blonde's little sister started screaming something along the lines of " _Don't you dare tell him_!" while simultaneously attempting to smother Yang with a pillow. Jaune closed the door quietly.

Of course, Ruby's efforts seemed to be in vain – in stark contrast to the girl's rather one-sided fight with the Boarbatusk earlier, a headlock and a noogie were enough to get the young Rose to surrender.

 _Rose_... _shit, how do I tell them_?

Jaune had never really considered _how_ ; all the blond had really thought was that they needed to know they were related. When he'd learned that Ruby was indeed both his cousin _and_ in possession of 'silver-eyes', a million thoughts ran through his head – and not one of them involved how to tell her, or even _what_ to tell her.

And _Yang_. What the hell was he supposed to tell them both?

The boy took a seat on Weiss' bed – careful not to disturb the sheets – and waited. Ruby was struggling to break Yang's grip, while Yang herself was grinning all the while, intensely focused on grinding her knuckles into the top of Ruby's head.

He hoped he wasn't just about to _ruin_ everything.

Perhaps Jaune didn't quite have his priorities straight, but that was what he was worried about most: he wasn't worried about some 'great evil' targeting Ruby because of her powers... he was more worried about what _they_ thought of him; what Ruby and Yang would _think_ of him. Though he hadn't known the truth for long, what if they thought he had? What if they started asking questions?

What if they didn't trust him, didn't believe him?

Jaune actually was beginning to think that talking to Weiss about Atlas first would have been a good idea. It may have been a little uncouth for him to think that way, but Jaune didn't care about Weiss nearly as much as the two sisters before him.

They were like family. And they _were_.

"So!" Jaune started a little uncertainly, clapping once to get the sisters' attention. Yang, noticing, ceased to mess with Ruby – though Ruby herself gave Yang one more shove before turning towards him. Idly, Jaune wondered if Yang had been buying him time.

The two sets of eyes stared him down... he'd felt _more_ comfortable getting his ass kicked by Yang in front of thousands at graduation. "I..." Jaune clenched a fist – he really should have thought this through. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning." Yang suggested, Ruby chuckling lightly despite the seriousness with which her sister spoke.

Jaune nodded, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea..." He sighed. "So, Yang, we've known each other for a while, yeah?"

"Four years, or something." Yang confirmed. "Though we weren't really friends for a lot of that. We didn't talk, or anything."

Another nod. "Yeah. We've become good friends in the past... what, eight months?"

Yang shrugged. "Yeah, sure, let's go with that."

"So, that means I've known you, Ruby, for just as long." The girl's red and black hair moved up and down as she nodded in response. "And in that time, I've come to think of you two as my closest friends. When I was living on Patch, though my family was just a ferry ride away, they always felt so... distant, you know? Of course, I called home often, we talked, but they weren't really _there_. Ruby... you came and visited me when I was 'on leave' after Yang and I were in Atlas. Yang... we've been in a couple situations already that could have cost us our lives. You both have always been there for me."

"You got that right." Yang quipped.

Jaune rubbed at the back of his head. "I suppose, what I'm trying to say is that I think of you guys as family – just as much as my own... and... well, I learned something recently that I feel I need to share with you both."

The two girls sitting across from Jaune waited patiently.

"I- we... we _are_ family."

There was no reaction initially; but perhaps, silence in itself was a reaction.

"Okay. I don't quite get what you're trying to say here." Yang broke the silence first. " _Explain_."

"I… back before we became friends, I'd learned that I had an aunt – one I hadn't known about… no one ever mentioned her; at least, not until my mother told me she was a huntress. She said my aunt was one of the best. She told me about how, one day, her sister vanished…

"My mother-" Jaune looked down at his hands, as if he could find an the explanation within them. For the most part, he just didn't want to meet their eyes. "She never told me my aunt's name… not until recently, when I thought to ask."

The blond bit his lip; he was telling them something like this, but he was still hiding; still lying to them. His mother didn't tell him _anything_. "My mother told me my aunt's name was Summer. Summer Rose."

"I see... And you didn't think to tell either of us until today?" Yang quizzed. Ruby looked… Jaune didn't know: Jaune wasn't _sure_ what the girl could be thinking.

"I didn't make the connection until yesterday, when Ozpin called Ruby to the stage. I'd have said something earlier, but I wanted to wait until we were alone… until we could discuss it."

Yang nodded acceptingly, but there was something in her eyes Jaune couldn't quite read. The blonde turned to her sister, waiting patiently for her to speak; and so did Jaune.

The shorter girl looked conflicted – there was no reason she _shouldn_ 't have been. She opened her mouth, before closing it. It seemed like she was at a loss for words.

Finally, Ruby spoke. "Jaune, you said you think of us as family?"

The boy nodded.

"Then, nothing really changes, does it?" Ruby's eyes were as steely as they were after she fought the Boarbatusk earlier. "I consider you my friend. That you're also my cousin is just sort of… a bonus I guess. Besides…" there was a long pause as Ruby and Yang shared a glance. Yang nodded.

"Besides what?" Jaune prompted.

"For some reason, I always had a feeling there was _something_ about you. Ever since I first saw you."

What was that supposed to mean? "Like, when we first met at Signal?"

"No, I was… coming back from a trip to my mom's grave one day." Jaune didn't comment on that – Summer was only _presumed_ dead... but after however many years, they'd likely all moved on. "I saw you then, outside your apartment, and I _watched_ you. For some reason, I felt a connection. I think that was even before you and Yang even became friends."

"Yeah." Jaune's partner confirmed, to the boy's surprise. "Ruby actually asked me about you. I thought my little sister had her first real crush, but…"

" _Yang_ …" Ruby whined.

"But that wasn't the case... Which is why you're still in one piece."

"I see." Jaune rubbed at his chin, ignoring Yang's 'threat'. He turned to his partner, meeting her eyes. "What do you think of this, Yang?"

The blonde gestured to herself. "Me? Well, I'm surprised, but this isn't really life changing-" _It would be, if he had told them everything._ "But I'm with Ruby. Even though you and _I_ aren't technically related, I feel the same: We're friends, and this changes nothing."

Jaune sighed, thankful that all his worrying had been for naught. He still felt awful about withholding everything else from them, but there was nothing he could do about that – not until he asked Ozpin. "That's good... In that case, there's something I want to share with you guys – Ruby in particular."

Pushing off Weiss' bed, Jaune strolled over to his nightstand, Yang moving over a little so that he could open the drawer underneath. The boy reached in, pulling out the worn, leather bound journal of Summer Rose.

"Here, Ruby." Jaune kneeled lightly, offering his cousin the journal. The young girl took it gingerly, as if the notebook would disintegrate at her touch. "It's... something you might want to read."

The girl cracked the book open, Yang leaning over her shoulder to read as well. Yang's eyes widened, scanning the pages. "This... the handwriting is a little crude compared to her cookbooks but..." She licked her lips as if they were suddenly dry. "This is Summer's, isn't it?"

Jaune didn't even have to answer, Ruby nodding even as her eyes began to tear up. Yang noticed immediately, wrapping an arm gently around her sister's shoulders.

They flipped a few pages, both absorbed in the words written by their mother. Jaune remained silent, still crouched before the two girls.

Ruby stood, closing the book softly, though Jaune could see her grip on it's spine was anything _but_ soft. The girl stepped forwards, tears in her eyes, before she fell back down to her knees and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

" _Jaune_..." Ruby sobbed. "Can I borrow this for a while?"

"Of course you can." Jaune assured, feeling Ruby's tears soak through to his skin. Not sure _what_ he should be doing with his arms, he left them hanging at his sides.

The girl pulled back, red faced, and gave Jaune a peck on the cheek. " _Thank you_."

Dazed, Jaune reached up, touching where the girl's lips had just rested for but a moment. Before he even realized it, Ruby was gone, the door to their dorm closing loudly behind her.

 _What_?

 _"Hey._ " Yang's words brought Jaune back down to Remnant. _When did she get so close_? "Don't get any ideas... you guys are cousins, after all."

Jaune shook his head, before nodding dumbly. Ruby... had caught him _completely_ off guard. "Yeah, of course. I wouldn't think anythin-"

The boy's eyes widened, as Yang grabbed him by the collar, pulling him closer before planting a kiss on his lips.

Like with Ruby, the contact lasted only a second, but when Yang pulled away, she didn't go far; she stayed close enough that he could still feel her breath.

"I don't think you know what you just did for her..." Yang spoke, though Jaune found it hard to hear her words through the blood pumping through his ears. " _Thank you_ , Jaune."

The blond nodded, not trusting his mouth to do _words._ Yang released his collar. Jaune had to suppress the growing urge to lick his lips, the girl's eyes staring into his as she stood to full height.

Holy shit, she just _kissed_ him.

There was a slight tinge of red to Yang's cheeks as she offered him her hand. Jaune took it, Yang pulling him up with the strength he'd expected of her. "Come on," Yang said plainly, "We need to go eat, I'm sure Nora and Weiss are waiting for us."

Jaune took a deep breath, letting it out in an "Okay", nodding.

"...Right after I get my hand back." Yang mentioned.

The boy flinched lightly, releasing his grip on the girl's appendage. "Right, sorry. Let's go."

Yang stepped forward, Jaune following close behind, nothing but questions and the faint taste of cranberries on his mind.

* * *

 **Well, can't say there _haven't_ been people waiting for something like this; hell, we're twenty-five chapters in, and this is the first sign of anything really romantic.**

 **... Not to say that kiss was romantic or anything; whether that was a display of affection or just a token of thanks, that's for you guys to interpret.**

 **So, Jaune told Ruby and Yang. What does this change? Not all that much... or maybe it did? We'll see in the following chapters.**

 **As always, thank you all for reading. Let me know what you think in a review or PM.**

 **Until next time.**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	26. Unreadable

**Hey guys. This chapter might be a little shorter than usual, and for that you have my apologies. I've started it the way I wanted, and I've ended it the way I wanted, so there's that...**

 **Regardless, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

 _So, I'll see him before every combat class – combat class is on every other day... aside from that, there's lunch, there's history where we'll definitely sit together, dinner… any free time I have to myself..._

… _that isn't very much, is it_?

"Nora, are you okay?"

The girl blinked in response to Ren's random question. Quickly, Nora reached into her locker, retrieving Magnhild. "What do you mean?"

"You looked rather pale for a moment, and just stood there staring at your locker."

"Did I?" Nora quizzed, deflecting the accusation while hefting her great hammer. Hitting the release, Magnhild's joints loosened, beginning to fold in on itself as the mechanisms whirred. Nora shrugged, 'holstering' Magnhild in its launcher form at her back. "I didn't notice."

Ren hummed, his own weapons sliding into his sleeves as Nora slammed her locker shut. "You wouldn't have..." He sighed. "I wonder if we'll end up fighting today."

Nora's jaw dropped, turning towards Ren upon reaching one simple conclusion. " _Ren_!" She whispered panicky, leaning closer while grabbing the boy by his shoulders. " _What if they make us fight each other_?"

Nora didn't miss the way Ren's eyes widened slightly, though her friend's expression quickly returned to normalcy. He shrugged, prompting Nora to release him from her grip. "Then... I guess we fight?"

Ren didn't want to fight her either _,_ Nora knew that. She knew the reasons why too... or at least, she had a good idea.

Ever since Nora had wanted to be a huntress, her and Ren had always sparred together – whether it was with simple sticks carved into the rough shapes of swords, or with the weapons they possessed now. They'd always pointed out each other's flaws when they noticed them, striving to improve, so that one day they'd be able to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

But, they'd only ever _actually_ fought once: at Siren's graduation.

While that fight was certainly fun for both Nora _and_ Ren, neither of them necessarily wanted a rematch... at least, not so soon. They'd barely had any time to improve and they both knew each other's weaknesses too well. In fact, Nora was sure that if she hadn't taken the initiative the moment their grad-match began, certainly they would have spent the first minute or so just waiting for the other to make the first move.

"We _could_ just go through the motions; you know?" Nora recommended, more for Ren's sake than her own. "Like if were just sparring normally?"

"I don't think that would work," Ren shot down politely, "a trained huntress like Goodwitch would be able to tell right away. The best idea would be to go all out, like graduation."

Meeting Ren's eyes, Nora frowned. Her childhood friend smiled lightly, forcing the girl to sprout a grin of her own. "You sure you're okay with losing again?" She asked giddily. "Can't afford to go easy on you – my team's reputation is on the line."

Ren clicked his tongue, but he continued smiling. "Who said anything about losing?"

Nora laughed lightly. " _I did_."

A chuckle from Ren ended their conversation, the two walking along the rows of occupied lockers. While the boy's vivid eyes seemed to wander – inspecting the people they passed by – Nora watched his face closely, wondering if Ren himself was 'okay'.

He _was_ being unusually talkative, after all. Nora wondered if it was the little time he'd spent with team PBRL that was the cause.

It _definitely_ made the most sense: There weren't many other things that had changed, aside from them not being around each other nearly all the time.

 _Hmm_...

"What's your team like?" Nora and Ren echoed, both asking the question at the same time. The pair stopped walking, turning to face each other in surprise.

"You first." Ren offered.

"Well… you know Jaune and Yang." Nora started. "They're nice. Weiss too..."

"But?"

" _But_ it doesn't feel like a team yet, you know? It doesn't feel like it did in Nyurse – even _after_ Nyurse." Her, Ren, Yang and Jaune… that had been the dream team. "We all worked so well together back then."

"That's true… and the headmaster was the one who debriefed us..." Ren wondered aloud. "Maybe there was something he didn't like?"

Nora hummed. "What about your team?"

"We get along. It's only been, what, two days though? It's hard to say." Ren looked to his scroll. "Speaking, I should go find Blake. If we get to Goodwitch's class before you, we'll save four extra seats."

The girl smiled. "Good thinking!"

"See you."

Nora stood, watching as Ren rounded a corner. As soon as the boy was out of sight, Nora took a deep breath in, before letting out a long, drawn-out groan that got her more than a couple odd looks.

 _Why couldn't I be your partner_?

Nora roamed the locker room for a minute or two. Not knowing exactly where her teammate's lockers were, she hoped that she'd chance upon them eventually.

"Hey Nora, we're over here!"

Nora stopped midstride, turning towards the voice. Seeing Yang waving her over, the girl skipped over to the group.

"Hey guys!" Nora greeted, smile plastered across her face.

She hoped they didn't notice its fragility.

Everyone was decked out in their full combat gear, Weiss the only one without her weapon yet. Nora's partner, however, was situated in front of an open locker, so it probably wasn't going to be long before they were all ready to go.

"You excited for class?" Yang asked enthusiastically.

Nora wasn't able to respond fast enough; Jaune, who was lying on a nearby bench, groaned loudly.

"Uh… is Jaune okay?" Nora felt she needed to ask. At her question, JWYN's leader sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

"I'm fine Nora, just didn't sleep very well last night."

Weiss, with an arm reaching deep into her locker, scoffed at that. "You got to sleep before _any_ of us did, you shouldn't be complaining."

"Hey, just because I slept longer doesn't necessarily mean I had a good sleep." Jaune debated, stretching into a yawn. "Seriously, I've felt better after a fifteen-minute power-nap than I did this morning."

" _Uh-huh._ " Weiss 'agreed', sounding immensely uninterested in Jaune's explanation.

Nora watched as Jaune and Yang shared a 'look' - something that pretty much indicated they were in agreement about _something._ What it was in this case, Nora had an _inkling_ , but she didn't want to assume.

"So, what're you doing Weiss?" Yang quizzed in what was likely an attempt to change the subject. The three of them watched on as the girl unhinged her rapier, exposing the revolving Dust cylinder.

"Refilling Myrtenaster." She responded curtly.

Nora continued to observe as Yang's grin seemed to strain a little. "...And Myrtenaster is... your rapier?"

" _Yes_." Weiss' response was not necessarily... _polite_ , what with how she looked up to glare at Yang. Nora's partner reached over to grab what appeared to be a vial of ice Dust. "I'm _trying_ to focus here."

Nora sighed to herself. Perhaps she could have explained a little more when Ren had asked?

Truth being, her team was a _mess_. Sure, they would probably work well together if they were put into another 'initiation-like' situation, but when they weren't focused on anything else?

Bickering. Constant _bickering_ \- whether it was Jaune and Yang's playful banter, or Weiss' random bouts of hostility, it typically ended the same.

"Actually, I _am_ looking forward to class today." Nora spoke up, hoping to distract everyone – _mostly Yang_ – from their tempers. "Who do you guys want to _fight_?"

Everyone adopted thoughtful expressions, with the exception of Weiss, who was focused on filling Myrtenaster's cylinders. The heiress was the first to answer, regardless:

"I'd like to fight Pyrrha."

Yang gasped at that. "I didn't know you had a death wish Weiss!"

Weiss sighed. "I _don't_ have a death wish – I just want to see where I'm at. It's an opportunity." The heiress snapped her blade back into place, giving the cylinder a spin. "What about you Yang?"

"Yeah, I'd want to fight Pyrrha too." Yang didn't give Weiss a chance to retort, which Nora could clearly tell she _wanted_ to. "Jaune?"

Nora turned to her leader. Of every member of her team, Jaune seemed like the 'smartest' - not necessarily brain-smart, but the most composed and the most considerate. Out of all of them, he was definitely the one suited to be a 'leader'.

The blond took a lot longer to answer than the other two, probably giving it more thought.

"I'd want to fight Blake." He answered, rubbing at the back of his head. "Or maybe one of CRDL's members."

Nora glanced back and forth; Yang crossed her arms, and Weiss looked to Jaune curiously. "Why?" Was the question posed by Yang.

"Well, I've seen everyone else fight in some capacity... Pyrrha fought beside me during initiation, Ren back at Nyurse, and Ruby is Ruby." Jaune shrugged. "It's more challenging to fight someone I know nothing about... not that I can see myself winning against Pyrrha or anything like that."

"So, you're saying you'd win against Blake or any member CRDL?" Yang teased. "Well, I'll just have to tell them all that."

Jaune didn't rise to the bait, but he still smiled. "Yeah, _okay_."

Yang grumbled something to herself, inaudible to Nora, before raising a fist into the air. "Alright! Are we ready?"

Nora raised her own fist in answer, grinning. "Yeah!"

* * *

She wasn't nervous – she wasn't even explicitly tense.

It was the first time in Pyrrha's fighting career that she'd actually felt that way.

Sitting amongst her team – _her_ team – she wondered why she didn't feel any pressure. It was practically guaranteed that she'd be called on to fight today...

So why did she feel nothing? There was no _pressure_. Did the lack of any real crowd, any audience have anything to do with that?

Or was she just that certain that she'd win?

 _No_. Pyrrha's clenched her hands into fists. If anything, the opposition she'd face here would be much more challenging than anything she'd had to face before. Just because she was a 'four' time Mistral Regional champion, didn't mean that anyone else present _couldn't_ have been.

Pyrrha felt something in her gut. _Ah... there's the tension_. _That feels better_.

Pyrrha smiled, turning to her teammates. Ren seemed as calm as ever, though perhaps he was _too_ calm, forcing it. Blake's eyes scanned the room. Pyrrha didn't know much about the girl yet, but she knew enough to know that she wasn't all that nervous; she was doing a threat analysis – picking out who she would consider a challenge.

…Or maybe not. Pyrrha couldn't be certain.

Ruby, Pyrrha's own partner, looked to be the worst off: the girl was practically shivering, wrapped in her cloak. If she hadn't known exactly what was going on, Ruby would have looked the most nervous of them all.

"You sure you're going to be able to fight, Ruby?" Pyrrha asked.

Her partner gave a sniff. "Yeah." The girl brought a sleeve to her face, sneezing into it. "A cold like this shouldn't slow me down."

"Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up so late." Blake cautioned. "Or at least, you could have closed the window."

"Yeah... but I just couldn't stop reading, you know?"

Blake hummed in response. The sheer number of books the girl had brought with her to Beacon hinted that she understood.

All the chatter around the hall ceased, the sound of heels clicking against the floor echoing in it's place. Professor Goodwitch stepped into the light, face stern as she waited for complete silence.

"Welcome, first years, to Combat Class." She began. "For those of you who don't already know, combat class is, traditionally, a practical class where we would work on your ability to fight, whether it's 'one on one', 'two on two', or 'four on four' matches. However, with the majority of students not being separated into teams, we will be focusing on 'one on one' matches. Throughout the semester, we will also apply what you've learned in the field, foraying into areas with heavy Grimm populations."

The professor adjusted her glasses. "With such a large number of students having passed initiation this year, you will not all be able to participate in class today. Thus, in the interest of time, today will be a 'lesson' in that we will have some of the more skilled fighters square off in a demonstration of their abilities. With that said, would Pyrrha Nikos..."

Somehow, Pyrrha kept a straight face, despite the murmur of the other students. _I knew I'd be fighting today_.

"And Jaune Arc come to the floor please?"

As twin groans sprouted a few seats away – from the direction of team JWYN – Pyrrha smiled. Not only were there other people who _wanted_ to fight her, but she'd get to fight Jaune.

After how he'd performed during initiation and the words he'd said the other day, the leader of PBRL been eager to see what he was capable of – and she hoped it was _a lot_.

Rather than taking the stairs down to the arena, Pyrrha jumped the railing of the observing area, rolling to break her fall. The soft thud and the light rattle of metal behind her indicated that Jaune had done the same.

"Please, students... I understand that you're eager, but use the stairs next time."

"Sorry."

"Sorry, Professor Goodwitch." Pyrrha apologized, taking her place on the opposite side of the arena from Jaune. Reaching behind her back, Pyrrha readied Miló, leaving Akoúo̱ for the moment, if only to see the blond's reaction.

It wasn't as if Jaune was confused, but he raised one hand to the weapon on his back – his spear – before lowering it to his lower back – where he kept his pistol. If anything, it looked as if he was trying to decide which weapon would best counter her.

Then, it looked as if the leader of JWYN had a flash of insight – he retrieved his pistol, switching it to his left hand before drawing his sword from along his arm.

Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow, to which the boy shrugged. It was a rather unorthodox style, but as the blond settled into a ready stance, she noted that it wasn't entirely foreign to him.

"Are both fighters ready?"

Neither student provided the professor with an answer, but that was more than enough for the professor.

"Begin."

Pyrrha dashed forwards the moment they were signaled to begin, holding Miló two handed in its spear form. Jaune brought his pistol to bear, but the shots he fired followed a simple trajectory, and were easy enough to deflect with Miló's head. Pyrrha got closer, preparing to throw Miló in order to catch Jaune unaware.

The champion took shorter strides, preparing for the throw. Squeezing the trigger, Pyrrha threw Miló forward. The moment she let go, she pulled Akoúo from her back, holding it forward with both hands in preparation for a counter attack.

The one thing Pyrrha wasn't expecting was for Jaune's shield to expand just as Miló hit, the boy deflecting the javelin high into the air as he ducked. The boy's sword came low, sweeping for the legs.

Just because Pyrrha didn't expect Jaune's actions, didn't mean she couldn't react to them; the redhead jumped, using Jaune's shield as a stepping stone on her way higher into the air. Miló was just out of reach, but not far enough that anyone would notice her using her semblance to pull it back to her.

With Miló back in hand, Pyrrha twisted midair, flinging Akoúo̱ down towards her opponent. The shield made contact with the boy's head before coming back to her, though for the most part he seemed to ignore it.

Pyrrha touched down, Miló and Akoúo̱ back in her grip. Catching her breath had taken but a moment, and she'd had her eyes on Jaune practically the entire time...

...but when had he switched to his spear?

A sweeping attack from the blonde had Pyrrha backing off – despite the length of his spear when it was fully deployed, he was fast.

Jaune lunged, and Pyrrha knocked the blow aside with Akoúo̱ . Seeing an opportunity, the champion moved forward.

She twisted out of the way immediately after her first step, recalling Ruby's words:

' _Jaune's lance pushes back when he fires_.'

The sound of a gunshot, and the Jaune's spear was back in prime position, just barely missing Pyrrha's arm. The boy lunged again, Pyrrha deflecting it with Miló this time. She backed off, shifting Miló into its rifle form, taking a couple shots.

It wasn't nearly as flashy as Pyrrha, but Jaune deflected the bullets using the shaft of his spear – though not without difficulty, as the champion noticed.

 _Is that his weakness_? Pyrrha backed off further, taking a couple more shots at the blond. This time, however, he deployed his shield in time to catch the rounds on its face. _Hmm_ , _nope_.

Before Pyrrha could move for another attack, Jaune jumped, propelling himself higher by firing a round with his spear. He fired again once he reached his peak, coming down hard.

Pyrrha was smart enough to move though, putting distance between them as his lance embedded itself in the ground. The boy rose to his feet, making to pull the spear out.

The first words spoken all match were spoken then:

"Uh oh."

Pyrrha grinned, leaping forwards as Jaune struggled to free his spear. Miló shifting into sword form, she took a swing at his head. Jaune saw it coming, moving a little to the left.

Miló clanged against the shaft of Jaune's spear, still stuck in the arena floor. The champion frowned, even as Jaune looked on in confusion.

They both recovered quickly – Jaune pulling his sword out, shield expanding while Pyrrha moved in for another strike. The two exchanged a couple blows, but none landed. Either the strikes were blocked by each other, or intercepted by Jaune's spear, lodged upright and seemingly unmovable.

Jaune swept in with a horizontal strike, and the long weapon that had been limiting their reach launched free into the air with a crack. The boy must have hit the trigger mechanism with the strike.

No longer having to fight around a pole, Pyrrha stepped within Jaune's guard, hitting him in the gut with Akoúo̱ . She heard the air rush out of him, his blade falling to the ground – perhaps what happened with his lance loosened his grip? Knowing it was time to press the attack, she hooked one leg around the back of his, and pushed.

The blond wasn't going down without a fight though; he'd managed to get a hand around her wrist as he fell, locking both of his legs around hers. Pyrrha had no choice but to fall with him, lest she wanted something of her's broken.

Aura couldn't protect against things bending the wrong way, after all.

Pyrrha moved as she fell, fighting to maintain the upper hand. Jaune tried to twist away as he fell, but Pyrrha wouldn't allow it.

They both hit the ground - Miló at Jaune's neck, and her knee on his stomach.

"I give." The boy groaned out, eyes squeezed shut in pain. Goodwitch definitely didn't hear that.

"Why?" Pyrrha asked, puzzled.

With his pistol pressed against her abdomen, Pyrrha knew Jaune still had a fighting chance.

"I can't take your Aura lower than you'd be able to take mine. If we didn't have Aura... you could kill me before I'd even be able to pull the trigger."

Pyrrha nodded, accepting the blond's reasoning. "Alright."

The champion wondered what it looked like to the others, as she stood, helping Jaune up.

Their fight wasn't technically over, after all.

" _Thanks_. Hey professor!" Jaune waved over at Goodwitch. "I forfeit."

* * *

"I _can't_ believe you!" Yang crowed, landing backwards on her bed with a 'thump'. "You didn't even use any Dust! If you had, you _so_ would have caught her off guard."

"Yang's right, you know; Aside from Dust munitions, Dust usage isn't permitted in regional tournaments." Weiss pointed out. "I haven't seen what you can do with it yet, but Pyrrha really wouldn't have been expecting it."

Jaune buried his face in his hands. Combat class was _hours_ ago, but they were still on about this? "Yeah, _yeah_ -"

"And why did you surrender?" Yang sat up suddenly, frowning. "I know you could have gotten out of that, and you were both still green as far as Aura goes."

"I'd have lost anyways?"

There was silence as no one offered any sort of counter-point; Weiss just nodded along, Yang looked conflicted, and Nora was as silent as she'd been since defeating Ren.

Yang pouted, before sighing. " _Whatever_. I call dibs on first shower."

"Hey! Wait-" Weiss' protests were shut down by the slamming of the bathroom door. " _I swear_..."

Jaune turned to the Schnee heiress. "What's up Weiss?"

The girl's blue eyes turned towards Jaune. "I was going to ask her what she knows about Blake."

 _That_ caught Jaune off guard. "Blake? Not much, I don't think. Why?"

"Well... it's nothing."

 _Hmm_... Jaune frowned. Weiss was behaving not unlike his sisters had on occasion... though he still didn't quite understand _what_ it was. Weiss had fought Blake, and despite the short duration, the match was intense. "I've known... well, I can't say I've 'known' Blake for all that much longer than Yang has, but she seems nice. Quiet, too."

"Huh... maybe her and I got off on the wrong foot then."

That was curious. Was there some kind of bad blood between Weiss and Blake? The two seemed... well, _nothing_ like Yang and Weiss on a bad day.

Actually... maybe now was a good time to start bringing the team together. "Say, Weiss..."

"Yes Jaune?" The heiress head tilted lightly.

"What was your childhood like?"

Weiss didn't give a response right away. Nora, who'd been sitting at the desk, turned towards her partner.

The heiress blinked twice. "That's a very sudden question, but I suppose it's understandable. None of us have really talked about ourselves, and it's already been what, two days since initiation?"

"Something like that." Nora tacked on.

"Anyways, if we're..." The heiress began to play with her hair. "If we're going to talk about something like this, Yang should probably participate."

"Yeah sure, that sounds good to me." Jaune agreed. "We can wait for her to get out of the shower, then-"

Jaune was cut off, feeling his scroll vibrate in his pocket. As he was about to reach for it, it began to let off an unfamiliar tone as it rang. Jaune froze.

It wasn't his scroll. It was the black scroll he'd gotten from Ozpin.

Jaune stood from where he'd been seated on his bed. "Excuse me, I've got to take this."

Jaune walked across the dorm room – praying that the two girls didn't think it weird that he hadn't pulled his scroll out yet. As he entered the other bathroom, Jaune finally answered – voice only.

"Yes, hello?" He was so nervous, he was shaking.

" _Hey Jaune, how are things_?" The familiar voice came through.

"...Qrow?" Jaune scratched his head, wondering what his former teacher had stumbled upon. "What do you need?"

" _Oh, not much_ ," The gruff voice continued. " _Just checking in. You know, 'How's Beacon?', 'are my nieces okay_?'."

"They're fine. Beacon's fine." Jaune nodded, reassuring himself as well, before remembering exactly what he'd been worried about. "Wait, aren't these scrolls supposed to be used for things of the utmost importance?"

" _And checking in on my fourth favorite student and my nieces isn't important_?"

 _Fourth favorite_? "It _is_ important, but I figured important in this case would be something... I don't know, like the _world ending_?"

" _Yeah, yeah, I get what you mean_." Qrow interrupted. " _So, how're the teams_?"

Jaune responded quickly. "Teams are fine. Me and Yang are together with Nora from Nyurse and..." Jaune made doubly sure he was quiet enough to not be overheard. "Weiss Schnee. From Atlas."

" _Oh... that's certainly interesting. And Ruby_?"

"Pyrrha Nikos, Ren, and a friend of mine, Blake." Jaune listed.

" _Blake Belladonna_?" Qrow asked, the telltale sounds of navigating a scroll's menu coming through the line. There was a brief pause before he added: " _That's interesting_."

"What's interesting?"

" _Nothing. You'll find out eventually, I think._ "

Jaune was about ask what he meant, before he realized he had something much more important to ask his former teacher. "Say, Qrow..."

" _Yes_?"

"Did you know that we're related?"

" _…sorry_?"

Jaune smacked himself in the head. "I meant me and Ruby. Did you know?"

" _Know that you two were cousins_? _Of course I did._ "

Jaune sighed into the receiver.

" _Wait... you mean you didn't_?"

"No!" Jaune protested loudly, before remembering two of his teammates were just a room away.

" _Your parents didn't say anything_?"

"Again, no." Jaune stated, running a hand through his hair. "My mother never said Summer's name when I asked about her, and for the longest time I thought Ruby was Ruby _Xiao Long_."

Qrow chuckled on the other end. " _Now that's just stupid_."

"Hey!"

" _But yeah, I figured you would have noticed something, after all this time_." Qrow murmured. " _Anyways, about earlier... definitely keep it hidden, but you can use your scroll for a lot more than talking, you know_?"

Jaune pulled the device from his ear, looking at the black casing. "What do you mean?"

" _You'll find out. Gotta go, bye._ "

And just like that, Qrow was gone. The scroll's menu came up, and Jaune thought upon what Qrow had mentioned.

Curiously, Jaune brought up the scrolls applications, first noticing that all the default applications were still there. However, there was also a _folder_ , listed suspiciously as ' _new_ _folder_ '.

 _You've got to be kidding me_ …

Jaune opened said folder, finding even more folders within – these ones were all named, though, and their names almost made Jaune freeze up.

 _Surveillance access... Dossiers... Security..._ There were at least twenty, each sounding more and more… _sinister_.

The blond felt like he'd just stumbled on something extremely immoral, and probably highly illegal.

Curiosity got the better of the boy, and he first entered the surveillance access folder. More folders, and their names made things even worse.

 _Vale. Atlas. Mistral. Vacuo._

Jaune went into Vale.

Vale was divided up even more: Beacon, Signal, Siren... not just the academies either. Random addresses were even assigned folders. Jaune backed all the way out.

… _This is... this is nuts_!

Dossiers was next. With a general idea of what was contained, Jaune navigated the folder easily.

In a moment, the names of every single one of Beacon's first year students was before him. His finger hovered over _'Blake Belladonna'_ for but a moment, before he sighed.

Jaune slammed the scroll shut, shoving it in his pocket.

 _No_.

* * *

"Hey, where's Jaune?" Yang asked, stepping out of the washroom, towel wrapped around her.

Weiss looked up from her scroll, only briefly taking the time to notice Yang's state of undress. If the heiress cared, she didn't show it. "He had to take a call, so he's just in the other washroom."

Yang nodded, looking between Weiss and Nora - both seemed a little... nervous?

"Did something happen while i was in the shower?"

"Well..." Nora started out. The girl hadn't really spoken much since combat class earlier. "We're all going to have a 'talk'."

"A 'talk'?" Yang quizzed, hoping one of the other two girls would elaborate.

"We're going to talk. All of us." Weiss stated, sliding her scroll shut. "The moment Jaune is done with his call, we're all going to talk like the civilized people we are."

... _Okay_? That sounded ominous. "What brought this on?"

"Technically, Weiss recommended it." Nora stretched. "Jaune asked Weiss about her childhood, and Weiss wanted you to be here to hear it. And i guess... we're all going to talk after that?"

"That's the plan." Weiss nodded. "We haven't really had a good chance to introduce ourselves to one another-" _I_ _wonder why_. "-So this would be a step forwards."

"I see..."

Just then, Jaune strode out of the other washroom. The look on his face as he moved, however, stunned Yang to silence.

It was a rare expression for her friend... He was angry. Honestly, purely _angry_.

Something was wrong.

The boy moved towards the dorm's entrance, shuffling into his shoes.

"Hey, where are you going?" Weiss squawked.

Jaune gave a simple, short answer.

"I'm going to talk to the headmaster."

* * *

 **Looks like Jaune's got something to talk to Ozpin about.** **Other things are addressed this chapter as well - we've finally gotten inside Nora's head, and opinions are forming all around.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **See you next time.**

 _ **Updated: August 10/16**_


	27. The Weapons In Our Arsenal

**Hello everyone!**

 **Before we get to this chapter, I'd like to point something out: I'm human, and I've made some mistakes. Those mistakes having little to do with the story as we know, and more to do with the story in the future. I, as of August 10th, have gone back and rectified said mistakes.**

 **It's not much, but it's worth mentioning to those with really great memories - the names for some of Jaune's sisters have changed, as well as which of his sisters are 'special'.**

 **If you don't feel like going back and re-reading the whole story to see what I've changed, you don't have to - I'll let everyone know what's going on after this chapter. If anything seems utterly confusing though, that is my bad, and I apologize.**

 **With that over with, please enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Jaune turned, grabbing for the door handle. Just as he began to pull the door open, another hand rushed past his head, slamming the door closed.

"What do you mean ' _you need to talk to the headmaster_ '?" Yang asked. Despite the force she employed keeping the door closed, her voice was soft and soothing.

"I… I _need_ to." Jaune wasn't angry at Yang – he couldn't remember a time he really _had_ been – so the boy tried calming down. For her, at least.

"Why?" It was a simple question, but among the millions already running through Jaune's head, the answer wasn't immediately found.

Jaune stopped for a moment – not struggling to open the door, not doing anything but breathing. The boy looked over his shoulder. Nora was seated cross-legged on her bed, watching on with what the blond assumed was concern. It surprised Jaune to see that Weiss had a similar expression.

He couldn't tell Weiss or Nora what was going on – he didn't need to, he didn't _have_ to. The only one stopping him from leaving right now was Yang.

The boy leaned closer to his partner. " _I got a call from Qrow_..." He whispered. " _I need to talk to the headmaster about something_."

He watched Yang's lips tighten into a thin line – at their proximity it would be hard not to notice the change. Jaune continued to stare into her eyes, waiting for her answer.

Yang sighed, barely relaxing, but she continued to hold the door shut as she spoke. "Something bad?" Jaune didn't answer. "Okay, I don't like it, but don't take too long. We're all going to have a nice long talk after you get back."

Jaune nodded, and Yang backed off. The boy pulled the door open, stepping out into the empty hallway. He closed the door softly behind him, taking a deep breath.

He really needed to calm down... It wasn't that big of a deal...

Jaune looked right, then left. The hallway was completely empty. He turned to walk in the direction of the tower that held Ozpin's office, retrieving the black scroll from his pocket before sending the headmaster a quick message.

' _I need to speak with you. Your office_?'

Jaune made sure to keep the scroll out of sight as he moved down the hall, waiting for the response.

The moment it vibrated, Jaune checked. ' _In five minutes_.'

That was fine; it would probably take that long for Jaune to get to the man's office regardless.

As Jaune walked through Beacon's halls, he passed a number of students - more than he'd thought would be wandering about, considering the lateness of the hour. The occasional few made eye contact with him, one or two even nodded politely in greeting. A couple of older students smiled at him as he went by, before returning to their conversation.

The black scroll felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. He could guarantee that any of the students he'd just passed... whoever they were, he had access to information on them: Information he had no right to know, no _reason_ to know... information, it was likely, that they didn't _want_ him to know.

That they didn't want anyone to know.

It just... made no sense to him; he could understand having basic information on his fellow students at Beacon, but everything else? Surveillance footage, a 'master key'… why did he have stuff like that?

Jaune took a calming breath as he pressed the call button for the elevator.

The leader of JWYN was glad that Yang had stopped him before he left the dorm. Whether it was her intent or not, she'd really helped bring him back to ground; if Jaune had just strode into Ozpin's office, as steamed as he had been...

…He didn't want to think about it.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Jaune moved to step inside, before he nearly stumbled in shock.

Standing there, hands resting upon his cane, was Ozpin.

"Ah, Mr. Arc. You're..." The headmaster hummed. "One minute early."

Jaune instantly stood straighter. "Sorry."

The older man simply smiled in response. "No, it's quite alright. Come on in, this works out rather nicely."

Jaune swallowed down the lump in his throat, stepping forward into the elevator. Standing next to the headmaster, the boy remembered just how intimidating the headmaster could be – the man was _tall_.

... _Wait._

Jaune scanned the buttons. Unless the headmaster just liked to ride the elevator up and down for fun - which he severely doubted – then where did the man come from?

From Jaune's understanding, Beacon's elevators were set up in different 'bays'. There was only one elevator that would take you up to Ozpin's office, and said elevator didn't have any access to Beacon's few basement levels.

If you wanted to get to the third basement floor from Ozpin's office, you'd have to switch elevators once you hit the main floor.

So why was Ozpin waiting in the elevator on the main floor, if he didn't just ride down?

Jaune glanced at the taller, suited man out of the corner of his eye. The headmaster simply stared straight ahead, waiting as the elevator ascended.

The elevator slowed to a stop, the doors opening once again. The headmaster's office hadn't changed since Jaune had been there last – in fact, with the sun beginning to set behind them, the sky was painted an eerie orange, fading to black, much like before.

Ozpin walked behind his desk, taking a seat in his chair. That's when Jaune noticed the first difference in the office – the lack of a chair for him to sit in himself.

Not sure what else to do, Jaune stood in front of Ozpin's desk, hands clasped behind his back.

"Now then, you had something you wished to talk to me about?"

Jaune opened his mouth to speak, before he decided he needed to rephrase what he was about to say. He pulled his black scroll out of his pocket, stepping forward and offering it to Ozpin.

"I don't believe... I don't think I should possess one of these."

Ozpin eyed the scroll curiously, but he made no motion to accept it. "And why do you think this, Mr. Arc?"

Jaune took a breath. "I... honestly, I don't think _anyone_ should own one. Or at least, have access to the data contained; the world's security feeds, people's private information..." Seeing as Ozpin wasn't about to take it back, Jaune pulled the scroll back towards himself. "...I don't believe I should be trusted with something like this."

To Jaune's surprise, Ozpin smiled. "Do you not remember? That's part of the reason for why you _have_ been trusted with one of these scrolls. Do you think I would give such power to someone who might abuse it?"

"Well... _no_ , but-"

The headmaster raised a hand, and Jaune silenced himself instantly. "That's not what the problem is, is it, Mr. Arc?"

…

" _No_." Jaune answered honestly. "You're right."

Ozpin leaned forwards, staring at Jaune over top his glasses. "You don't think it's necessary, do you? You don't think you _need_ it?"

Jaune drew his lips tight, nodding.

The headmaster sighed. "Mr Arc... when a huntsman or a huntress goes out into the field, and kills Grimm, what would you call that?"

The blond thought upon Ozpin's question for but a moment. "It's their duty."

Ozpin nodded. "You're not wrong." The professor stood. "They are protecting the people – which, mind you, _is_ their duty – but is it necessary?"

"Of course it is." Jaune answered. Why wouldn't it be? "If we don't kill the Grimm, we put people at risk."

"Right." The headmaster responded, walking over to look out the window behind his desk. Jaune was confused – did the headmaster just ask him if killing the Grimm is necessary? "But if we were to do _nothing_ instead, how much would change?"

...If they were to do nothing? Jaune remained in place. "More people would die."

"Rightagain. However, whether we do _something_ or we do _nothing_ , people will die. That is the sick truth of a huntsman's world: No matter how many Grimm we kill, no matter how many people we save... there will always be someone out there, suffering. Dying. Do you understand this?"

Jaune nodded, though the headmaster likely couldn't see it. "I do."

"Then why are you here?"

The question caught Jaune off guard, but he considered what Ozpin had just said. "I'm here because doing _something_ is better than doing _nothing_."

The headmaster returned to his seat. "Excellent. Now then, _Jaune_... Would you say we are waging war against the Grimm? Think carefully about your answer."

 _Are we waging war against the Grimm_?

The Grimm are mindless; the Grimm exist for only one reason... To destroy mankind.

But were they at war with the Grimm?

"No." Jaune answered. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, prompting Jaune to explain. "We live in relative peace. Within the walls, civilians are able to go about their daily lives, as if nothing is happening. They know the threat is there, but they don't have to worry about it. We are not at war with the Grimm."

"Correct."

Jaune looked down to the black scroll in his hands, finally understanding exactly where their conversation was going. "But... it's not the Grimm we have to worry about."

"And with who we're up against..." Ozpin confirmed. "Information is our greatest asset."

All the scroll's features... all the information he had access to...

' _We are at war, Mr. Arc._ '

Jaune looked up to the headmaster, with one final question.

"How bad is it? _Really_."

* * *

"Do you have any idea what's going on Yang?"

The blonde looked up from her book. Around half an hour had passed since Jaune left. Weiss, who was now sitting at the edge of Jaune's bed, looked _worried_ of all things.

"Not a clue..." Yang mentioned. "I tend not to worry about Jaune too much. He's pretty good at looking after himself."

Only the first sentence was true, though. As long as she'd been around him, it was rare that Jaune would be so heated. That whatever her uncle had called to talk to him about... had him _that_ mad?

It wasn't good. Not at all. Odds were he wouldn't want to talk about it when he got back either – at least, in front of Weiss and Nora. She'd have to get him alone when she could.

"Still... he seemed rather... Angry?" Nora pointed out from where she was sitting at their work desk.

"Yeah..." Yang looked back down at the book in her hands. "He should be back soon, though."

"That's another thing." Weiss continued. "Why did he need to talk to the headmaster?"

Yang shrugged. "Dunno."

"What do you mean you 'duuno'?"

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut, trying her hardest to not be annoyed with the Schnee heiress - Weiss was just as troubled as she was. "It means _I don't know_. Jaune and I aren't attached at the hip... If he's keeping something from me, that's his business..."

"...You don't mean that though." Weiss noticed, stating the obvious.

"Nope." Was Yang's terse reply. She really didn't want to have _this_ discussion right now.

A loud 'click' was heard, and the three girls in the room turned instantaneously, facing the door as it opened wide. With a second click of the latch, the door closed.

The blond who'd just entered met Yang's eyes, before turning to Weiss, and then Nora.

"What?"

"Took you long enough." Nora complained, striding over to her bed. The girl grabbed one of her pillows, threw it on the floor, and sat on top of it, crossing her arms. "Well?"

"We aren't seriously all going to sit on the- oh _come on_!" Weiss cut off her own complaint as Jaune – not even having moved a step from the door – proceeded to sit on the floor cross-legged.

Yang took a pillow from her own bed, sitting across from Nora. "If you can't beat 'em..."

The three members of JWYN that were seated on the floor looked up to Weiss – Yang had to suppress the urge to chuckle at the heiress' affronted expression.

"Oh, _fine_."

With the entire team seated in the rough approximation of a circle – _square,_ whatever – Nora cleared her throat, wordlessly stating her intention to speak first.

"Well then..." She smiled, easily ignoring the tense atmosphere that had developed. "What now?"

"We're supposed to be introducing ourselves, or something?" Jaune asked uncomfortably, looking amongst them. "I can go first, I guess."

Yang smiled, glad her friend was back to 'normal'. "Sounds good to me."

"Alright. I'm Jaune Arc. Name's short, sweet..."

" _Jaune_..." Yang threatened.

"...Anyways..." The boy stroke his chin in thought. "...What am I supposed to say?"

"For crying out loud... It's an _introduction_!" Everyone turned to Weiss. "Hi, I'm Weiss Schnee. My father owns the Schnee Dust Company, the largest Dust supplier across all of Remnant. I was home-schooled before coming to Beacon. I have an older sister named Winter, I'm left-handed, I enjoy singing, I can play the piano, and I am rather fond of chocolate, blueberries, cheesecake, and coffee."

A couple seconds passed in silence, before Weiss turned to Nora. "Your turn."

"Well now." Nora cleared her throat once more. "I'm Nora Valkyrie. For the majority of my life, I lived with my best friend, Ren. We went to school together at Siren. Ren graduated as salutatorian, and I, myself, graduated as valedictorian – _shocking_ , right?" Nora shuffled in place. "My favorite food is pancakes – _and I hope Jaune has not forgotten his promise_?"

"Right." The blond confirmed.

"And I really like working out." The ginger-haired girl finished with a smile. "Yang, you want to go next?"

The girl shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with doing so. "Sure."

 _What to say... what to say..._ Despite her teammate's introductions, it still felt very awkward – no one had really addressed Jaune's absence... in fact, it seemed like the others were _avoiding_ that.

"I'm Yang Xiao Long." Yang looked back and forth, meeting everyone's eyes. "I grew up on Patch, with my dad and my sister Ruby. My deadbeat, teacher uncle would sometimes crash at our place, and things were... nice."

 _I should have thought about what to say earlier_.

Yang turned, meeting Jaune's gaze. The boy gave a reassuring nod, but Yang wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean.

 _I guess I'll just keep talking then_?

"I graduated from Signal, as valedictorian. I love fighting, turkey, and have recently become fond of a particular book series named ' _Ninjas of Love_ '." Weiss and Jaune groaned and chuckled at that respectively. "You're up, Jaune."

"So soon?" Jaune joked. "Anyways – no interrupting this time, Yang – my name is Jaune Arc: Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it-"

"Do they?" Yang and Nora echoed, before grinning at each other. Yang leaned over with a hand up, prepared to receive a high-five.

Nora did not disappoint.

"Honestly, I should have expected that." Jaune mumbled. "I grew up in Vale, with my family: my dad, my mom, and seven sisters-" Yang ignored Weiss' shiver "-whom I love dearly. My father is still an active huntsman, and my mother retired to raise us kids."

Jaune slid his scroll forwards. "Here's a picture of all of us."

Yang's curiosity was instantly piqued. She'd never seen a family photo of Jaune's – she'd only met his parents once, briefly, and caught glimpses of his sisters on occasion.

All three of the girls leaned in, shoulder to shoulder to get a better view.

"That's my dad Aurum, and my mom Alabaster." Jaune explained, pointing to his parents. Yang didn't know how she didn't see it before, but if you swapped out his mother's blonde hair… she looked so much like Summer it was eerie.

"The freakishly tall one is Juncea. She works part time as a cook at a diner down in Vale - she's living with her fiancée, so I don't get very many chances to see her." Jaune pointed to the sister standing next to Juncea. "That's Claire. She's only a couple of years older than me, and she's already going to medical school - she'd always dreamed of being a doctor."

"That's respectable." Weiss quipped.

"There's Violet, who… still doesn't know what she wants to do with her life." Jaune spoke as if he was disappointed, though Yang knew he wasn't really via his smile. "She's talentless, and generally doesn't enjoy _anything_ but reading. Daisy – the one hanging around my neck – always spent a lot of time away from the house. I haven't seen her since this picture was taken, though we keep in touch.

"And finally, to round things off, we have the triplets." The three girls, all posing together were the ones Yang had seen the most of. "Lily is the one with the black hair, Mist is the short one, and Yuné is the one leftover."

Yang grinned. "I don't think Yuné would appreciate that."

Jaune could only shrug. "She doesn't."

"So..." Weiss started. "What about you?"

"Me? _Oh_." Jaune retrieved his scroll from where it sat. "Like Yang, I graduated from Signal. I've always wanted to be a huntsman like my father, so that's why I'm here."

" _And_...?" Weiss pressed on.

Jaune looked a little confused. "That's... kinda _it_."

Weiss crossed her arms, looking thoroughly unimpressed. With purpose, the girl turned towards Yang, expectant.

The blonde looked to Jaune, the boy still feigning confusion.

Or maybe he wasn't?

Yang sighed, resolving to do _something_ about the tension. "Jaune doesn't like grapes." The boy twitched. "Apparently, he's a really good dancer. His older sisters used to force him into dresses until he was six... then he started putting them on _himself_ -"

The boy didn't even stand fully before he tackled her, face flushed red. If Jaune had said anything, Yang didn't hear it through her own laughter and the squeal Weiss let out. The blonde couldn't do anything as Jaune raised a pillow high above his head – she was laughing too hard, and seeing his embarrassed face just made it worse.

" _That's not true_!" Jaune shouted as he brought the pillow down, Yang catching the broad side of the pillow right in the face. " _That's not true_!" He repeated, hitting her again.

Yang couldn't stop laughing, even as Nora hauled Jaune off of her. The girl pulled out her scroll, still giggling. "Oh, hold on! I have a picture!"

"Yang, no!" Jaune protested, Nora holding him back.

"Yang _yes_!" The blonde scooted over to Weiss, leaning in so the heiress could see the display.

"Oh _my_."

" _Yang_!"

* * *

Weiss smiled, humming a tune to herself as she walked along the cafeteria tables, tray in hand. The cook – or whoever it was who handed out the food – had given her way more than she needed. But the heiress didn't really care.

She could just give whatever was left to Yang. Or maybe Nora.

Sliding her tray onto the table, Weiss took a seat between the two girls. Everyone seemed to be conversing with each other, so the heiress just sat quietly and began to work on her lunch.

Team PBRL was present too. Over the past week, the two teams had practically become one _big_ team – at least, when they were all together. With Yang and Ruby being sisters, as well as Nora's long-time friendship with Ren, they were already rather tightly-knit by default.

Weiss almost felt like the odd one out - like she was on the outside, looking in. But she wasn't the only one:

"So, Jaune..." Pyrrha started, the two leaders sitting next to each other.

The blond turned away from Ruby, Yang, and Blake's conversation at the Mistrali's request. "What's up?"

Weiss found it an odd friendship, the one between Jaune and Pyrrha. The heiress had actually expected the two to not really get along – especially considering Jaune's loss to the champion in their first combat class. What Weiss _had_ been expecting was a bitter rivalry between the two, both competing to have the 'better team'.

Jaune's lack of a competitive spirit, however, wasn't something Weiss had accounted for. The boy seemed to enjoy fighting, but claimed he didn't really care for it on multiple occasions.

"I still remember what you said that day, in your dorm." Pyrrha continued. "About thinking competitive fighting was a waste."

It took every ounce of self control Weiss had to not-choke on her food. Jaune had said that? To _Pyrrha_?

 _How in the hell do they get along_?

"What about it?" Jaune asked, eating a spoonful of... whatever was in his bowl.

"I said I agreed with you, in a way. But I based that off of my own experiences." Weiss looked left and right; She was the only one listening in on their conversation. "What made you think that way?"

Jaune took a moment to think. Weiss watched the boy's face carefully, ready to look away at a moment's notice. While Yang and Nora were rather straightforward with her, the heiress noticed Jaune _wasn't_ ; if he was talking with someone else, the moment he'd notice her listening, the blond would hesitate, then either change what he was about to say, or avoid the subject entirely.

"It's mostly my past experiences too." Jaune replied finally. "Like I'd said, there are so many skilled fighters who'd be helping more people by fighting on the frontlines." The boy glanced around, Weiss staring intently at the apple on her plate in order to avoid making eye contact. "I don't know if you heard about it because you're from Mistral, but what happened in Nyurse would be a good example."

Weiss looked back up, remembering Yang saying something about being there on a mission.

"I've heard of Nyurse." Pyrrha nodded, smile vanishing. By her expression, Weiss _knew_ she had.

"Not everyone made it out of Nyurse – we still don't have concrete numbers, even a month and a half later." Jaune stated somberly. "One more militiaman would have been another life saved, if not more. Even back in Atlas..."

 _Atlas_?

"But that's the military; that's completely different." Yang added, butting her way into the leaders' discussion. Ruby and Blake also watched on, curious.

"I guess." Jaune looked rather dejected, staring into his bowl.

"Ah, sorry if I... reminded you of something bad." Pyrrha apologized awkwardly.

Weiss turned to Yang – who was practically her go-to source for information on Jaune. Any time the boy had been exceptionally vague when responding to one of Weiss' questions, the brawler had supplied something on his behalf.

This time, Yang just shook her head.

 _A touchy subject then_? Weiss sighed.

Maybe later...

"Nah, it's quite alright..." The expression on Jaune's face said different. The boy looked up, meeting Weiss eyes.

 _Shoot_.

"Hey, Weiss, you want to take a look at these for me?" The heiress looked back up, seeing Jaune holding out a folded piece of paper towards her.

"Is that Oobleck's assignment?" She asked cautiously. The lanky man had wanted three pages worth of work done for their next class, and – not wanting any member of her team to get a bad grade – Weiss had encouraged everyone to finish it early.

"No, actually. This is some..." Jaune turned to Ruby. "Would you call this research?"

The younger girl shrugged, taking a sip of her straw.

"Anyways, this is some research I did on my own regarding Dust."

Weiss raised an eyebrow at that, taking the folded paper from her leader. Jaune didn't seem like he was of a scientific mind... but if he did design those weapons of his himself, then maybe he _was_.

"When you say research..." Weiss unfolded the piece of paper, reading through the first few lines. _Synthetic Ice Dust... and high quality Light Dust_? "You do know that synthetic Dust can't be combined with other types of Dust, right?" She read a little further. "And how are Burn and Ice Dust supposed to react 'safely'?"

Jaune tilted his head. "What, you don't think any of it will work?"

The heiress frowned. "I'm not saying it's impossible... but it's likely the things you have written here have already been tested in a Schnee lab. By people who are... more qualified." She returned her attention to the first couple lines. "But what purpose would mixing Ice Dust and Light Dust have anyways?"

Her leader only smiled. "That's the _fun part_."

"Anyone else getting mad scientist vibes, or is it just me?" Yang asked innocently.

"If he was really a mad scientist, he'd have tried it already." Blake commented.

"On that note..." Jaune stood. "Who wants to come watch me blow stuff up?"

"...I take it back."

* * *

"To be perfectly honest..." Jaune started, looking amongst the seven students who had followed him to Beacon's outdoor range. "I wasn't exactly expecting _everyone_ to come."

"You promised us _explosions_." Nora called from the back. "What did you expect?"

Jaune sighed. He supposed it was only fair. After all, what warm-blooded teenager didn't like explosions?

...Was Yang rubbing off on him too much again?

"Alright! Well, now that we're here," Jaune spoke, "I guess it's time for me to show off a little?"

The boy tried to gauge the reactions of his closer friends at Beacon. In general, the seven students were split into two groups: The ones who were excited, and the ones who were just plain interested in what exactly he was promising.

After knowing all of them for at least a week, Jaune would be able to guess which group was which just from the people in them – with only one exception. One group was Weiss, Blake, and Pyrrha, all who were watching him with vague interest. The other group consisted of Ruby, Yang, Nora... and _Ren_.

By default, Jaune definitely didn't picture Ren as the type of guy who'd get excited about explosive ordinance... but the grin on the boy's face didn't falter, Nora practically bouncing up and down beside him.

"Let's get this started, then."

Jaune turned to the firing range behind him. He couldn't take too long, or else lunch break would end. He'd originally wanted to test some new rounds he'd been working on with the limited time he had, but now he was required to put on a decent show for his friends.

And he'd promised to blow some stuff up.

Horizon in hand, the gun previously resting on the table at his side, he loaded a Fire-Energy shot; not unlike the ones Ruby used in the Emerald Forest. He took a firing stance, sighted down range, and pulled the trigger.

Jaune was really used to Horizon's kick at this point – especially with the rifle rounds.

"I thought you said something was going to expl-"

The round impacted the ground about two-hundred meters away, bursting into a raging inferno, and bringing Pyrrha's question to an abrupt stop.

There was a content sigh from Nora. " _Do it again_."

Jaune smiled back at his spectators, loading another round in. "One more, and then I'll move on to the fun stuff."

This time, Jaune aimed at a rock, already peppered with marks from other rounds striking it – and even a few that went _through_. He shot it, and – though the rock itself survived – it was left scorched black from the heat.

The blond turned, nearly jumping at how close Weiss had gotten – though she stayed behind the safety line. It was almost comical how many rules and restrictions the range had, even though it was run by a place that trained huntsmen and huntresses.

"Can I see one of those cartridges?" Weiss asked politely – though it carried more like a demand.

"Yeah, sure, here you go." Jaune walked forwards, pressing one of the Fire-Energy rounds into her exposed palm. He wasn't quite sure how the girl would have reacted if he'd tossed it at her.

Jaune then moved back to the table, grabbing a round he'd been planning on testing – it was not unlike the Fire-Energy rounds he'd just fired... the main difference was that the projectile wasn't entirely Dust; instead, it had a thin, light metal casing.

In theory, the casing would be thin enough to delay the activation of the Dust momentarily, even as the bullet penetrated hard exteriors. It was something he'd wanted to use to deal with Grimm that were more heavily armored, like a Boarbatusk.

The blond took aim at the rock once more, then he fired.

The round impacted the rock, but seconds later, there was nothing. Jaune scratched his chin in thought. _Perhaps I made the casing too thick_?

Jaune reached for another round, almost yelping in shock as the rock exploded.

 _It worked_?

"Why didn't you use these in our match, Jaune?" It wasn't Weiss this time, but Pyrrha. The girl's emerald eyes bored into his own.

"Well..." Jaune had a good explanation ready, actually – it was just much harder to say as the redhead stared him down. "I don't exactly know what these things will do to people with Aura... so I've avoided using them on others. I'm working on weaker versions that are probably safer."

Pyrrha looked over his shoulder. "Probably?"

Jaune also turned to regard the black rubble and smoking crater that had previously been a whole rock. " _Probably_."

"Another question..." Pyrrha looked behind her, before turning back to him. " _Can you make them in .308_?"

Jaune shuddered, remembering Pyrrha shooting at him during their match. "I _can_ , but..."

"But...?"

"After the Vytal Festival." He grinned. Just because he didn't follow competitive fighting didn't mean he didn't know about the biggest tournament in the entire world. Nor did he forget that it was entirely possible that they could fight in any round.

Pyrrha scoffed, but her smile didn't fade. " _Figures_."

Jaune turned back to the table, debating what round to fire next.

"Mr. Arc!"

Jaune immediately turned once more, facing towards the woman who'd barked his name. "Yes Miss Goodwitch?"

It didn't go unnoticed by Jaune that Weiss, Yang, and even Nora had practically snapped to attention as well, JWYN's mentor present. The older woman had given them their first week of mentorship 'off' – the time that was alotted for her personal lessons – but she'd been harder on them than anyone else in combat class instead.

If she thought they were just goofing off on the firing range, there'd be hell to pay.

The deputy headmistress' eyes narrowed. "I'm lucky I happened upon your team. I'd just like to remind you, Mr. Arc, that your team is staying behind after next combat class to further discuss your mentorship."

"O-of course. We haven't forgotten."

Goodwitch nodded. "Good."

Without another word, the blonde professor turned, headed back towards Beacon's interior.

Jaune and the rest of his team let out a collective sigh of relief.

Ruby chuckled nervously. "Come on, she isn't as bad as Oobleck."

"I think I'd prefer Oobleck." Weiss stated.

"No, you guys really wouldn't."

Jaune turned to the last speaker, Blake. As his eyes met hers, he heard one thing: something that had been repeating constantly since a week ago – any time he saw the girl…

' _Blake Belladonna? … That's interesting_.'

Jaune grit his teeth. Unfortunately, someone noticed.

"What's the matter, Jaune?" Ruby asked innocently, stepping forward as the other members of both teams half-debated who had the 'worse' mentor.

"I think something at lunch disagreed with me... I'm going to head to the bathroom."

"Liar." Ruby pointed out easily enough, frowning. "I brought Crescent Rose."

"Good... You want to take over here then?"

"Sure."

* * *

Jaune sighed, falling back into his bed. Their dorm room was empty, as it should have been, considering the rest of his team was still down at the firing range.

He really owed Ruby one this time around. Not only did he lie to her face – which she picked up on _immediately_ – but she didn't ask questions. She didn't stop him.

Did she know he wanted to be alone?

The blond sighed again, sitting up in his bed. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the black scroll. Whenever there was no one else around, Jaune would fish into his pocket for the device, pull it out, and then just stare at it.

It was all he did when he was alone – nothing else bothered him, nothing else... _taunted_ him.

Jaune slid the scroll open, it's screen coming to life. He quickly entered his passcode, and the scroll automatically returned him to where he'd been the last it had been open.

His eyes came to rest on one folder, titled 'Blake Belladonna'.

The boy stood, and he began to pace, thumb hovering over the icon. He considered Blake a friend – even if she really wasn't a 'close friend'. He remembered the day he'd met her, nearly half a year ago.

...Could he _really_ justify invading her privacy? ...On not so much as a whim? Qrow had only said ' _That's interesting_ ', after all. It could be _nothing_.

Hell, if Blake was a risk, then Qrow would have said something!

Groaning, Jaune set the scroll down on the dorm's desk, taking a seat. He hunched over the display, staring at it.

 _But why do I feel like I need to know_?

Ozpin had stated exactly what was on the line.

 _Vale... Beacon... my friends._

 _My family_...

Jaune took a deep breath...

He opened the folder.

* * *

 **So, things happen. I'm mostly bridging some gaps right now, but things will pick up with the next story arc, I promise.**

 **With that said, I need to inform you guys of the minor changes I made:**

 **The triplets (Yuné, Mist, and Lily) are no longer the ones who have the silver eyes. Though Lily kept hers, Claire and Violet now have them instead of the other two. If anyone wants to reread that chapter in particular, that would be Chapter 20: Reveal. I initially had misgivings about changing the earlier chapters, but it was deemed necessary.**

 **Aside from that, there are other minor changes that were made - mostly grammatical errors. (No, I haven't fixed all the blonde/blond stuff yet, sorry.)**

 **But yeah, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and continue to enjoy Technician as a whole. Feel free to PM me or leave a Review with your thoughts. Thanks!**


	28. Weissdice

**Hello all!**

 **I am shamed, for I have missed the month-long deadline I set for myself back in the earlier chapters. I wish I could say I had an excuse, but I really don't. A combination of lethargy and doing things I'd considered instantly gratifying instead of writing had me _not_ working on this chapter for a very long time, and for that I apologize.**

 **I tried to make the deadline, I really did, but the moment it passed I made myself a promise: Since I'd already missed the deadline, I was going to take my time with this one, and try to make the best chapter I possibly could. Considering it is probably my favorite chapter to date, that's probably a good thing.**

 **I hope you all enjoy, see you again at the end.**

* * *

Weiss stifled a yawn, stretching before she sat at the desk in her team's dorm. The heiress checked her scroll again. It was rare for her to wake up so early on her own: usually, it was her teammates – Nora in particular – being loud at an early hour, forcing her awake. A cursory scan of the room proved that everyone was, surprisingly, still asleep.

And that meant it was _far_ too early for Weiss to be awake, the girl suppressing a grumble as she looked out the window, rubbing at her eyes. The sun wasn't even peeking over the horizon yet. But, in a sense, it was far too late to fall back asleep, the girl knowing _exactly_ how precisely Nora's internal clock worked after the weeks they'd spent sleeping in the same room.

Getting ready for the day had taken less time than Weiss had accounted for – probably because she'd been the only one moving about JWYN's dorm. Already dressed for their morning classes, Weiss found she had little to do aside from watch over the sleeping forms of her teammates.

Turning back towards the desk, she looked down at the piece of paper before her. It wasn't as if she didn't have _anything_ to do... it was just that she was finding it hard to put her thoughts into words.

The heiress brought her pen to the paper, intent on starting the letter as she always did:

 _Dear Winter,_

 _It's good to hear that you are well. Congratulations on your promotion! I knew it would only be a matter of time. I'm actually surprised you weren't made a Specialist earlier._

Weiss sat back and stared at the words she'd written. _Doesn't that seem a little... haughty_? Shaking that thought, the heiress continued.

 _Then again, I'm not exactly familiar with how rank works in the Atlas Military, even after all this time. What I mean to say is that I know how hard you worked, and that you deserve your promotion_.

Satisfied that she'd responded to her sister's letter properly, at the least, Weiss kept writing.

 _Beacon is as wonderful as I had thought it would be. From what you'd told me, and what I'd seen online, I wasn't quite sure at first – I only knew that I didn't want to go to Atlas. In the beginning, things were a little rough and I doubted myself, but now I'm really enjoying my time here._

A rather loud and obnoxious snort disturbed Weiss' train of thought. The white haired girl glared at the lump that was Yang, nestled in more blankets than Weiss had considered necessary. Letting a sigh out under her breath, the heiress turned back to the letter.

 _I suppose I should start with my team. I don't know if you've heard, but through some circumstances, there are only three 'teams' of first-years at Beacon this year, and I am on one of them: Team JWYN, pronounced 'Jaune'._

Not ' _J-win_ ' or whatever it was Yang called it in order to tease their leader. The moniker had also served the dual purpose of annoying Weiss to no end, though she would never admit it.

If she did, Yang would just use it _more_.

 _My partner's name is Nora Valkyrie. She's very excitable - or at least, she appears that way. She seems to have an unhealthy obsession with pancakes, and – on the opposite end of the spectrum – physical fitness. The two cancel themselves out, somehow. She hits harder than a truck, and I don't know how I'd fare against her in a real fight, but I'm just glad I won't ever have to. She's actually rather intelligent as well, though I'm not quite sure how she can sit still long enough to do any studying._

 _Next would be Yang. Yang Xiao Long. Her and I didn't get along at first. She's a bit of a hothead, and we actually almost came to blows during initiation. I had met her younger sister Ruby before initiation, and she didn't exactly put me in the best of moods – mind you, the entire day turned into one huge mess because of her. She'd even somehow managed to lure an entire nest of young Deathstalkers towards our group at one point. She's skilled, but I have no idea why she was let into Beacon a whole two years early. She even paired up with Pyrrha Nikos, someone I had considered a possible partner of my own at first._

Weiss shook her head. She was getting side-tracked. She was supposed to be talking about _her_ team.

 _But we're on good terms now, Yang and I. She likes reading-_

Weiss didn't write _what_ , exactly, Yang liked reading.

 _And she's probably the best fighter out of all of us_. _Probably_.

 _Sadly, I wasn't selected to be the leader of our team. Our leader's name is Jaune Arc – and yes, the team being named JWYN does go to his head a little. Jaune is-_

Weiss lifted her pen from the page, realizing she didn't really have much to say about her leader.

If there was one word she could use to describe him, it would be...

 _Average. I use average because it is the best word to describe my leader; If you met him in person, it would be easier to explain. At first glance, he's rather unassuming, but he's a pretty skilled fighter himself._

He did last more than ten seconds against Pyrrha – someone who many thought was the most skilled fighter of their generation. He'd even held the line alongside her against all those Deathstalkers.

 _I don't think he expected to be named leader, but he actually fits the position better than I thought in the beginning. He hasn't done anything wrong, but then again, he hasn't done anything right either. At least it seems like he understands responsibility. After all, like Yang, he didn't exactly make the best first impression._

The heiress paused, wondering if writing about the other two members of Team PBRL would be out of place at all. She'd already mentioned Ruby and Pyrrha – should she have bothered mentioning Ren or Blake? She had spent more time with the latter two than the former during initiation, enough to have an opinion of them both – though, any opinion she'd formed of Blake back then was possibly incorrect.

On the contrary, as she was Nora's partner, Weiss practically knew everything about Ren.

After a few moments, the heiress decided to leave the two quieter members of PBRL out of her letter to Winter, settling for a simple closing: she made doubly sure to ask how her sister's 'work' was now that she'd been promoted.

Weiss put the pen down, folding the paper neatly before sliding it into an envelope. Satisfied that she'd struck something so important off her 'list' of things to do, she stretched her arms high above her head with a satisfying pop. As Weiss looked out the window, she noticed the sun had just _barely_ cleared the horizon.

"It's _morning_!" Nora called out in a singsong voice, sitting up almost immediately. The heiress caught her Nora's eyes with her own. "Morning, Weiss." The girl's face scrunched up in confusion. "You're up... _early_?" The confusion on Nora's face was quickly replaced by terror as she stood. "Or am I up late?"

Weiss shook her head lightly. "No, you're fine." The redhead breathed a sigh of relief. As Weiss stared at Nora, the girl hopping out of bed, she realized she had an opportunity for a little revenge – as petty as it was. "Jaune and Yang are still asleep... do you want to wake them?"

Nora grinned, not even questioning the girl's request. "Sure, I'll get right on it."

* * *

With a groan, Jaune rubbed at his shoulder – still sore from over extending his arm at the worst possible time during his spar against Ren. That had been a hard fought victory, but not one that he could really be proud of. From what he'd gathered watching the 'R' of PBRL fight, Ren tended to end his fights as quickly as possible. Jaune simply had to draw out the fight and wait for his chance. The only issue with that, had been that Ren had left very few openings.

The blond had taken a chance when one presented itself, and it had worked out in his favor, but it wasn't an overwhelming victory. Jaune was sure Ren was still holding something back, just as Jaune himself was not using anything too dangerous in what was supposed to be a friendly spar.

His other teammates' spars had gone as expected. Weiss won against Cardin, the leader of CRDL, but in the past few matches it seemed the boy was getting faster, and there were a few close calls with Weiss just barely managing to dodge his mace. Nora practically flattened one of the 'solo' students, a girl who Jaune couldn't remember the name of.

Yang, however, hadn't fought yet. There were still a few minutes left in class – long enough that Jaune was confident Yang could finish off anyone she was put up against. Especially since Pyrrha had already fought.

They'd probably have to reserve a whole period for that rematch.

Yang was practically bouncing in her seat too. Goodwitch looked up to where they were sitting, whether that was intentional or if the motion had caught her eye. The professor turned her attention back to her scroll, before putting it away.

"Now then, class." She started, adjusting her glasses. "I know it's a few minutes early, but you are dismissed."

" _What_?" Yang asked quietly, dumbfounded.

The majority of students stood the moment Goodwitch said 'dismissed', leaving almost immediately. Even PBRL left quickly, Pyrrha giving them a wave as her and her team made their way out. There were a few stragglers, but, after a few minutes, JWYN were all that remained of the first-year class, knowing that they had to stay behind.

It was time for the beginning of their mentorship.

With a flourish of her crop – Jaune assumed it had to be a weapon of some sort, and not _just_ a crop – a high stool flew from across the room. Every first year knew Goodwitch's semblance, but every time Jaune saw the professor use it, he couldn't help but be impressed.

He didn't quite know how semblances worked yet, not having one himself, but even he could tell it took a lot of control to do some of the things she did. Sometimes, she even moved things – and on the rare occasion, _students_ – without looking.

The stool settled on the ground, and Goodwitch sat on it gracefully. "Alright then." She finally called out. "Team JWYN, might I ask you to come here and have a seat on the floor before me? We don't have long before the next class comes in."

The four students shared a glance, before they stood in unison, moving down the stairs to the arena floor. Jaune kept his eyes on Goodwitch the entire time, only looking away to make sure he wasn't about to miss a stair. The blonde professor's lips were drawn tight, and her eyes were narrowed; she was watching them closely, but for what, Jaune couldn't tell.

The team sat, Jaune making himself as comfortable as he could on the hard floor, his teammates doing the same. After a moment, Goodwitch spoke.

"As your mentor I am responsible for your growth and development throughout your first year here at Beacon. I am required to provide you all with the skills you need to progress through the programs and classes at this academy, giving you the ability to serve the citizens of not only Vale, but all of Remnant." She explained easily, meeting their eyes.

"But that is not what I am going to do."

Jaune and the others were taken aback for a moment. _What_?

The professor adjusted her glasses again, before she smiled – something that looked less out of place on her face than Jaune would have originally thought. "I am going to do _more_ than that... but I suppose I should introduce myself first."

"But you already did." Yang mentioned. "On the airship on the way in, you..."

Yang was silenced by Goodwitch's glare, Jaune himself wincing at the intensity of her gaze. He swore he could feel the temperature of the entire arena drop, before the professor turned to a more neutral expression.

A few seconds of silence passed, before the professor continued.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, deputy-headmistress of Beacon Academy, and professor in charge of combat training. This you know." She stared pointedly at Yang as she said that. "But in reality, I'm not as 'experienced' a teacher as you might think. Besides monitoring matches between students and my administrative duties, the only 'teaching' I've really done is giving advice to students after their matches. While I might not be as knowledgeable about certain topics as Professors Port or Oobleck might be, there is a reason I am in charge of combat class; that is because I know more about fighting those who have hunter training than anyone at this academy." She paused, likely making sure everyone was following along.

"In the past ten years, I have seen fourteen generations of future huntsmen and huntresses fight on this very floor – including a few Vytal Tournament Champions.

"And so, throughout this one year mentorship, it is my goal to cram _fourteen years_ worth of experience into the four of you. Starting today." Miss Goodwitch stood, sending her stool back to where it came with a flick of her wrist. "For now, I'll have the four of you sit in on a second years' class. Please return to your seats."

There was no protests from Jaune or his teammates – Goodwitch's instructions were clear and her tone left no room for argument, not that there was much to argue anyhow. But despite himself, Jaune was a little concerned by their mentor's little talk: he wasn't sure about the others, but he saw more in Goodwitch's words than just what she said.

Goodwitch wasn't just going to be teaching them how to fight; she was going to be putting emphasis on teaching them how to fight _people_. Hunter trained. While that could have been explained away as getting them prepared for the Vytal Festival Tournament – as she subtly hinted – Jaune saw past those words.

They were being taught to fight their enemy: Whoever it was pulling the strings. That Goodwitch was one of his 'contacts' only made that more plausible.

His team was silent as they sat again. Everyone seemed deep in thought. Maybe he should have given them more credit? Or maybe they were just confused.

The main question on Jaune's mind had been whether everything had been Ozpin's plan, seeing as he was the one who assigned them to Goodwitch, or if Goodwitch herself was just taking the initiative.

… Or maybe this was just standard procedure, and he was just being paranoid?

Funnily enough, that seemed _less_ likely.

Jaune's thoughts were disrupted as he noticed someone sit next to him.

"Hey there." Jaune greeted casually. The dark skinned boy nodded, not speaking but greeting him in his own way. The pure white of his eyes unnerved Jaune slightly. Trying not to stare, Jaune distracted himself with the scars on the newcomer's arms – or was that considered staring too?

The scars were numerous, but none of them too deep. It was impossible to tell how old the scars were, but none of them were 'fresh'. Jaune looked past the boy, seeing a girl with a funny-looking hat, what he assumed was a faunus with rabbit ears, and a giant of a man.

If he hadn't already known they were second years, it wouldn't have been hard to come to that conclusion. They were strong, that much Jaune could tell. The girl with the hat – wearing her sunglasses inside for some reason – seemed to be chatting with the larger guy about something, the faunus between them looking back and forth.

Looking around the room, seats were filling up quick. It didn't go unnoticed by Jaune that a few second years were watching them with narrowed eyes – not in animosity, but in curiosity. Yang elbowed him in the side to get his attention, but just as she was about to speak, Miss Goodwitch cleared her throat.

"Good morning class. I trust everyone is well today?" There was no answer. "That's good."

There was a long pause as Goodwitch went to work on her scroll. While she tapped away, Jaune thought to the next match, knowing Goodwitch would want his team to watch closely – to learn something from every fight.

The first fight, however, was very uneventful, and ended after some time. The next fight stretched out over nearly ten minutes - twice as long as the average first year's fight. Fight after fight, match after match, Jaune was beginning to see a pattern.

No matter who was fighting – or even how lopsided the match was – the one who was losing always dragged out the fight as long as possible. But Goodwitch never commented on it, nor did she call the matches when they seemed to go on forever. It made Jaune think there was a reason.

Why would someone drag out a match, even if it was already a clear loss?

After a match that had taken nearly fifteen minutes to finish, the professor looked up from her scroll. "Alright, for our last match, can I have Velvet Scarlatina from team CFVY and Yang Xiao Long from team JWYN to the floor please?"

"Good luck Yang." Jaune encouraged automatically, before he clued in, staring at Goodwitch in disbelief. "Wait... what?"

Their mentor only smiled up at them from where she stood on the floor, the murmur of the other second years thickening as more students realized what their professor had just said.

A sigh came from next to Jaune. "Honestly, I'm not even surprised." Yang stated, standing up.

"Make us proud!" Nora called out from a couple seats over, the rest of JWYN watching as Yang made her way down the stairs.

"Don't worry Velvet, you've got this."

Jaune turned, just in time to see the girl in the hat pat the faunus on the back, reassuring her. The dark skinned boy with the scars gave her a nod – same with the tall one on the far side.

But for all their reassuring, the girl, Velvet, didn't seem nervous as she stepped forward. Yang, already down in the ring, did a few stretches before throwing some warm-up punches.

Jaune grimaced. _Yang_ was the one who was nervous. If she was feeling confident, she usually didn't feel the need to warm up.

"So you're JWYN's leader?" Again, Jaune turned to his left. The sunglasses wearing girl removed her sunglasses for a second, leaning past her teammate to extend Jaune her hand. "Coco Adel, leader of team CFVY."

The blond shook it, smiling. "Jaune Arc. What did he say at a time like this? They'd just met, and their teammates were about to fight: it certainly wasn't a situation the boy was familiar with at all. "I like your hat."

Coco grinned. "Thanks. Your coat is from Nino's." It wasn't a question.

"It... is." _How could she tell_?

The girl's smile got promoted into a smirk as she put her sunglasses back on, returning her attention to the arena floor. "I've got my eye on you, Jaune Arc."

 _...Okay_?

The dark skinned boy sitting immediately to Jaune's right 'met' his eyes. He raised his arm smiled, and then extended his thumb in a 'thumbs up'. Jaune smiled in return...

...Up until the point the boy dragged the thumb across his throat in the universal throat slitting gesture.

Jaune instantly paled, moving into Yang's seat reactively.

Coco slapped the older boy on the side of the head, smiling lightly. "Easy, Fox. The first years don't get your kind of sarcasm."

"Hmph." Fox 'responded', the first noise Jaune had heard out of him.

Something told Jaune that hadn't been sarcasm...

"Now then," Goodwitch's voice brought Jaune back to task. "Let's set some ground rules here. As Miss Xiao Long is a first year, she'll be afforded handicaps." The professor turned to Yang's opponent. "Miss Scarlatina, you are not authorized to use your weapons or Dust during this match."

Jaune frowned. That was quite the handicap, even not knowing what this Velvet girl was capable of. Yang was an incredible fighter in her own right – one of the best – and Jaune could honestly say that he didn't believe she needed a handicap, but he also trusted Goodwitch's decision. It was easy for Jaune to say he knew the most about how Yang fought, but Goodwitch knew more about how they _both_ fought.

"The match will end when either fighter's Aura drops into the red. Are both fighters ready?" They were: Yang squared up, and Velvet nodded. "Begin."

Jaune's partner did exactly what the blond had expected of her, charging forwards the moment the match started. Typically, there was nothing wrong with Yang's choice of tactic – in fact, Jaune encouraged it. If Yang's style revolved around punching things or people as hard as she could, it made sense that she close the distance as soon as possible.

But even Jaune frowned at Yang's actions in this case; Yang should have started the round at a distance with her slugs, knowing her weapon-less opponent would have to either dodge or take the hits. Jaune would have forced Velvet to get closer to him, forced her to fight close, had he been in Yang's shoes.

The moment Yang was finally in striking distance, Velvet responded with a kick. A very fast kick. Jaune winced, as Yang flew back a few feet. The blonde had managed to block the strike with her gauntlets, but it was easy to see that she'd been caught off guard.

It was as she recovered that Velvet moved.

To her credit, Yang managed to meet nearly every kick with a punch – and those she couldn't block or counter, she tried to give as good as she got, though she only managed to land glancing blows. The next time Velvet stepped closer, Yang actually backed off, firing a shell from her gauntlets in retreat.

Despite what Jaune had _expected_ , Velvet dodged the majority of the shot.

The fight continued, Yang on the retreat while trying to catch Velvet with a shot shell, the faunus chasing her around the circular arena.

Jaune grimaced. _The faunus_...

"She's good." Nora commented. "How _is_ she dodging shotgun shells at that range?"

The words had been burned into his mind.

 _Blake Belladonna, Faunus, Ex-White Fang, First year student at Beacon Academy..._

The scar on his shoulder burned, and he had to stop himself from putting a hand to it. Having seen her fight, if Blake had been one of the White Fang attacking the lab in Atlas... things would have been rough. The blond didn't even know how long she'd been 'ex' White Fang – and from what Jaune remembered, there had been a few of the terrorists who'd gotten out. It's entirely possible she _had_ been there.

His _friend_.

But if Velvet – someone with her skill – had been in Atlas?

Would he even be alive? Would Yang? _Weiss_?

"It's a good thing she's on our side then, and not with the White Fang." Jaune stated before he could stop himself. Internally, he started hitting his head against a non-existent wall repeatedly. How could he say something like that in public? Hell, he was sitting within earshot of Velvet's _entire team_.

"Just give it time."

Jaune turned slowly, mouth agape as he stared at Weiss. The girl had a frown on her face, watching the fight with feigned interest.

" _What_?" Jaune asked.

Weiss didn't take her eyes off the match. "They're all the same. It doesn't matter if it's weeks, months, _years_ even." The girl huffed as she crossed her arms. "I'm saying it wouldn't surprise me if she up and left Beacon to go take up arms for her cause."

"Her cause?" Jaune shook his head. "She's _here._ Learning how to fight the enemies of humani-"

"She's probably here learning how to fight _us_." Weiss interrupted.

" _Bullshit_." Jaune spat. Weiss eyes narrowed as she turned to face her leader.

"Hey, guys, I don't-"

"What do you mean, ' _bullshit_ '?" Weiss cut Nora's protests short. Jaune was too steamed to note the heiress' use of profanity. "You're the one who said it firs-"

"I said it's a good thing she's on _our_ side." _Is she_? Jaune clenched a fist. "I meant if someone as skilled as Velvet was with the White Fang, it would be bad for everyone."

"There _are_ faunus like Velvet in the White Fang you know." Weiss retorted. "I don't just mean skilled fighters: There are faunus who were upstanding citizens, soldiers, even a few huntsmen who have betrayed everything we stand for and joined the White Fang."

"So what then," Jaune sneered. "a few rotten apples ruin the whole bunch?"

"It's more like a rotten _bunch_ , if you ask me. The whole lot of them."

Jaune scoffed, opening his mouth to rant about how it was unfair to judge one person by the actions of their peers – even with how contradictory that sounded – before he stopped, as Weiss was _literally_ picked up by Nora, the girl forcibly switching seats with her partner.

Nora stared Jaune dead in the eyes. " _Not_ now."

Jaune clamped his mouth shut, staring defiantly back at Nora. The boy grit his teeth as he looked over her shoulder, meeting Weiss' cold eyes. He stood, turned, and moved to walk towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Nora asked, surprised. "Class isn't over."

Jaune didn't respond, focused on averting his eyes from the three members of team CFVY who had been sitting next to him throughout that entire argument. Even if he was trying to defend Velvet, he couldn't justify his earlier words. So instead, as he left, he watched Yang get knocked around by the faunus girl's powerful kicks. He pushed open the door.

And he left.

* * *

"I can't believe him. Seriously, he just walks out like that, not a word?"

Yang ran a hand through her hair, sitting on the edge of her bed. She silently swore to herself that if she had any greys as a result of this predicament, _someone_ was going to pay.

Initially, that _someone_ was going to be Weiss, considering it had sounded like the girl had started everything, but each minute Yang passed with her and Nora – _alone_ – in their dorm had her leaning slightly towards Jaune being the cause.

"Okay, so run this by me _one more time_." Yang stressed. "The two of you had an argument."

Weiss didn't stop her pacing. " _Yes_."

"I stopped it from getting worse – I think." Nora added, laying on her bed. Earlier, when Weiss had retreated to the bathroom for a moment, Nora expressed how she felt she'd actually made things _worse_. "I separated them when it looked like it was about to get out of hand, but..."

"Thanks, Nora." Yang reassured. The blonde had taken the time to explain that Nora definitely did the right thing. Otherwise she'd have been stuck with one frustrated Weiss, normally calm and collected; one depressed Nora, usually full of boundless energy; and one _lost_ Jaune, typically right where he needed to be: with her.

Her partner hadn't responded to anything she sent his scroll either. If that didn't ring alarm bells, what would?

"Then, after the argument, Jaune left." Yang restated. "My fight ended, and that's it?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Nora confirmed. Yang tried not to frown. Neither Weiss nor her partner had said anything about the argument itself, and that was all that was keeping Yang from figuring out what had _really_ happened.

Yang pulled her legs up, crossing them beneath her on the mattress. "Nora, do you mind going and looking for Jaune? Check the quieter places, where he can see a lot of people. He loves those."

The girl stood quickly, likely glad to have something – if anything – to keep her active. "Got it."

Weiss stopped her pacing, as she and Yang both watched Nora leave. The moment the door latched closed behind her partner, Weiss turned to face Yang, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You want to talk."

"Obviously." Yang said, arms outstretched, before she gestured towards Jaune's bed. "Have a seat."

The heiress took a moment to think about it, Yang noticed, before she made her way over. Weiss didn't _actually_ sit, instead opting to lean against Jaune's bed, across from Yang.

"So?" Weiss asked, more calm than she had been.

" _So_ ," Yang repeated. "What happened? I need to know where this started."

"Well..." Weiss hesitated. "When you were fighting that faunus, Velvet, Jaune made a comment."

Seconds passed, but where Yang usually would have asked _'And_? _'_ , the blonde let the moment pass patiently.

"I made a similar comment and Jaune reacted negatively."

Yang frowned, shaking her head. "Weiss... that's the same as just telling me you guys had an argument – the same thing you and Nora been telling me for the past... _however_ long it's been." The blonde leaned forwards, hands put together in a pleading gesture. "Tell me _exactly_ what happened. Please?"

"Well..." Weiss started playing with her hair. "Jaune made a rather unsavory comment about your opponent. He said it was a good thing the faunus was on our side, and not the White Fang's."

The blonde's frown deepened. That wasn't something that Jaune would say. But then, why would Weiss lie about that? The heiress had no reason to, unless she was just covering her back.

"Then I said 'Just give it time'." The heiress looked to her feet. "I didn't mean it exactly the way it sounds – I meant it more in the way that it was a possibility, not an eventuality. That's where our argument kicked off."

Yang hummed, balling a fist under her chin. "After that?"

"I said a few more... _questionable_ things about the faunus, Nora separated us, and Jaune left."

Yang hummed again, trying to map everything out in her mind. It just... didn't make any sense. Jaune was the furthest thing from a racist. In fact, the way he reacted almost aligned perfectly with Yang's expectations, but with one small exception: Weiss' comment would have made him bitter at the worst; It shouldn't have been enough to get him to argue with their teammate so intensely that Nora would have to intervene, especially in public.

"Did he say anything about 'faunus' specifically, or was it just 'White Fang'?"

"… I don't think he said 'faunus' at all." Weiss noted after a few seconds.

Yang nodded at that, squaring it away. There was still something missing, though. A missing piece.

Weiss huffed "Seriously though. If he only knew what _I've_ been through..."

Yang brought her head up, meeting Weiss eyes. Half of her wanted to snap, to yell at Weiss for being ignorant, arrogant, or whatever else came to mind...

But the other half just figured out exactly what was missing.

"It was the White Fang." Yang stated cooly.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

There were a few things Yang knew: Weiss was the heiress of the SDC, a corporation that had been targeted by the White Fang for many years. Weiss had more than enough reason to hate the White Fang itself, and through whatever means, that led to distrust of faunus as a race. It may have even been natural for her to associate the two.

But Yang didn't know exactly what Weiss had been through.

But she knew what _Jaune_ had been through.

 _I wouldn't have had to kill those faunus! I could have saved them!_

 _I'm... I'm a monster!_

"Jaune isn't... a very hateful person." Yang started. "Having been around him for so long, I can actually draw some similarities between him and my sister: they don't seem like they would hurt a fly, but they're absolute terrors on the battlefield. My sister has her own nightmares... and Jaune has his."

Yang noticed she had Weiss' rapt attention. Once she started speaking, there would be no backing out.

She just hoped Jaune would forgive her.

"Jaune was put in a situation where he had to _kill_. It was him against an army of White Fang extremists. He had the choice of running – guaranteed survival – or fighting his way through cramped hallways filled with terrorists and hacked Atlas robots.

"I was on the inside – My life was on the line, same as everyone else. I didn't know the entire situation, only learning afterwards exactly what had happened. I know Jaune was told to run... But he didn't. If he ran, there would have been casualties. More than there already were, at least...

"If he hadn't come back, anyone in that lab could have died. Anyone." Yang swallowed the imaginary lump in her throat as steeled herself for what she was about to say. "That includes me, my uncle, an Atlas general, dozens of scientists, whatever security force was left after the initial attack, the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company..." Yang took a breath, seeing the recognition in Weiss' eyes. "And his daughter. The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, who was missing at the time."

"Wait a minute... you're not saying-"

"I _am_ saying. Jaune and I accompanied my uncle on a mission up to Atlas, not knowing what it was beyond 'protective detail'. It was only when we got there that we knew we'd have to spend a week cooped up in some bland Schnee laboratory – but we didn't even spend _two_ _days_ there, once it fell under attack."

Weiss was silent as Yang finished that statement. Finally, after shuffling around a bit, Weiss spoke: so softly, Yang could barely hear.

"You were there?"

Yang nodded. "I was stuck in the safe room, with your father and other VIPs."

"And Jaune?"

"Broke through a couple layers of hell to bust us back out. He said he teamed up with you, helped you 'hack the robots back' or something. I'm surprised you didn't recognize him, but I guess a full suit of Atlas armor makes people less recognizable or something."

Weiss looked confused "...t Saber?"

Yang tilted her head. "Sorry, I didn't hear that."

"It's nothing." Weiss denied instantly, squeezing her eyes tight shut, before opening them. "That was Jaune?"

"It was." Yang confirmed.

Weiss stared at her feet for a little. "I really don't-" Suddenly, the heiress smacked her forehead. "He called me _snow angel_..."

The blonde smiled lightly as she gave Weiss a minute to recover. Once she nodded, Yang continued:

"After everything, Jaune had his regrets. He'd saved us... but he killed to do it. I'm sure there isn't a day that goes by where he regrets killing those terrorists: he saved us, but he didn't 'save them'."

"...And that's why he was angry earlier? Because-"

"Jaune hates the White Fang." Yang stated plainly, wanting to make sure Weiss had it right. "But he pities them all the same. He was probably angry because you made it sound like it could have been _Velvet_ that he'd left lying in a pool of her own blood."

Weiss grimaced. "I... see."

Yang and Weiss sat silently for about a minute or two. Yang watched for any change in expression on the heiress' face. Weiss' eyes were staring at an imaginary point of focus, the girl likely thinking on Yang's words.

Finally, Yang broke the silence, groaning as she stretched her arms high above her head. "Y'know, I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Jaune wanted to tell you all that himself – he was just waiting for the right time."

Weiss nodded along, before sporting a light frown. "I have a question..."

"Shoot."

"Why didn't he introduce himself, saying that earlier?" Weiss asked, not understanding.

"From what I remember, he _tried_ to introduce himself during initiation." Yang shrugged. "Emphasis on _tried_."

Weiss cringed. "Yeah..."

* * *

 _Come on... where are you_?

While Yang had told Nora exactly where she needed to look, the girl wasn't exactly having an easy time finding Jaune. Her initial advice – _somewhere quiet where he could see lots of people_ \- was actually surprisingly vague.

The boy could have climbed a tree, sitting in one of the high branches. He could have been sitting on one of the benches around Beacon's various courtyards. He could have literally climbed into a dumpster, propping the lid open to see outside – not that there were many dumpsters around Beacon. Besides, Nora was sure Jaune wouldn't have done anything _that_ extreme.

It didn't stop Nora from checking _every_ dumpster though. Neither did the weird looks she got from people as she climbed the many trees of Beacon.

Nora had even paid a visit to the cafeteria, and she _didn't_ leave with food. That was how important finding Jaune was.

The only place Nora hadn't checked was... _the library_.

The girl shuddered.

Nora had to actually ask an upperclassman for directions. If that didn't say anything about the girls fondness towards the typically massive rooms of tall bookcases – bookcases that were liable to fall over at any given moment – then what did?

As Nora walked into Beacon's library, she had to approve – it was a little more wide open than she'd expected, with workstations hooked up to the CCTS for research. The girl sighed lightly in relief, seeing a familiar head of blond hair sticking up over one of the – thankfully, _shorter_ – bookshelves.

Taking steps that led her closer to her leader, Nora couldn't help but wonder what had really been going on earlier. It wasn't like she'd known Jaune or Weiss for very long, but that argument was odd. It had taken Nora completely by surprise.

In a way, the girl still felt a little responsible for everything. She'd been the one to speak first, even if she hadn't started the argument itself... and then she'd separated Weiss and Jaune, which led to Jaune leaving class – Yang had claimed that wasn't her fault, but _still_.

Approaching Jaune, Nora made sure to walk up from the front, making sure she didn't startle him. Once the blond looked up, meeting her eyes, Nora moved forwards with a smile, sitting in a chair at the same table he'd been using, across from Jaune.

"Hey." He greeted plainly.

"Hi." Nora returned with a smile.

The table was bare – no books, no _nothing_.

Had Jaune really been just sitting there for the past three hours? Nora couldn't believe it – the boy had to have been playing games on his scroll or something.

"So... you wanna talk about it?" Nora asked innocently.

"Not really..." Jaune replied, before sighing, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant but... I think I'm ready to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Yeah." Jaune confirmed. "I shouldn't have reacted like I did. I also started an argument outside of the dorm room, which is rule number..." The boy furrowed his brows. "Rule number... _whatever_ , it's a rule."

Nora chuckled at her leader's attempt to lighten the mood. He wasn't as good an actor as he thought – but whatever secrets he had, Nora would let him keep.

He might have thought no one had noticed, but Nora knew better – he'd been hiding something. And not just from her, but from Weiss. Even _Yang_.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Jaune took a moment to meet her eyes, before staring at the table's surface.

"Yeah." Jaune lied.

Nora nodded in understanding. "Do you... wanna head back to the dorm?"

Jaune began to nod, before he stopped himself. "In... in a bit. I'm going to go get some fresh air first. You can head back though, tell them I'll be there in a little while."

The moment Jaune looked away, Nora frowned. "Okay, I'll do that." She wasn't about to force Jaune back to the dorm – especially if he wasn't ready – and surely it was enough for her to have made contact with him. "Don't take too long. Everyone's worried."

"I won't."

* * *

Jaune shivered as a stiff breeze hit the rooftop where he sat, staring out at the sun as it slowly descended, not quite touching the horizon yet. His legs dangled over the edge pf the rooftop, the ground a good five stories below. Not even a year ago, a fall from that height would have killed him, but now, he wouldn't even feel it. If he felt like it, he could even land softly with the pull of a trigger.

So the boy let his legs hang there, as he reached into his pocket for the black scroll. He'd been debating using it ever since he'd walked out of Goodwitch's class, and even now he was uncertain. Some things were better left unknown, but when it was himself and the rest of his team – no, _Beacon_ – at risk...

Jaune thumbed his way through the vaguely familiar menus, until he hovered over a certain file. After a moment's hesitation, he opened it.

 _Velvet Scarlatina, Faunus. Second year student at Beacon Academy. Father runs a Dust shop. His main supplier is the SDC, despite his faunus roots. Mother is currently unemployed..._

Jaune scanned the file repeatedly. After the third time through, he let out a sigh of relief, laying on his back, looking up at the sky.

Not a single mention of any affiliation with the White Fang.

"Thank goodness..." Jaune had closed his eyes, pleased that he hadn't been 'wrong'. Weiss' words had incited doubt, so in an odd way, he was glad they fought earlier.

Now, he was only disappointed in himself for making sure – dissapointed that the doubt had been there at all.

Jaune backed out of Velvet's file, then presented with the four files of CFVY's members. _So the big guy is Yatsuhashi_? Jaune's thumb hovered over his file, before he moved to the one labled ' _Coco Adel_ ', then to ' _Fox Alistar_ '. Jaune shook his head, backing out further: once to all the second years, then once more to all Beacon's students.

He found what he wanted to find – he refused to be tempted...

Behind him, the rooftop exit rattled. Jaune quickly stuffed the scroll back in his pocket, not wanting to risk whoever it was getting a glance. The boy turned.

"Gah, stupid door."

" _Weiss_?"

"Jaune! There you are!" The heiress accused. "Do you have any idea how long I've spent looking for you?"

The boy shook his head vigorously. "Didn't Nora tell you that I'd be back at the dorm soon?"

Weiss frowned, crossing her arms. "That was _two_ hours ago. I've been looking for you for the past _half_ hour. That means Yang, Nora and I were waiting for an hour and a half before I decided I'd come find you."

Jaune cringed. "Sorry?"

"Besides that, do you know how many rooftops I had to check-"

"How'd you know I'd be on a rooftop?" Jaune asked. "I only told Nora I'd be outside."

"And Yang told _me_ to check the rooftops when I left."

 _Ah_. "I see."

The two were quiet, a light breeze blowing over the rooftop. A few birds chirped, but otherwise it was silent as Jaune stared up at Weiss from where he sat.

Finally, the heiress took a breath. "Yang told me."

Jaune drew his lips tight. "Yang told you... what?"

"Yang told me about Atlas. About how you were there. I didn't realize..."

"Wait. Wait... _wait_. What?" Yang told her? Why? There wasn't any reason to, unless...

"She told me how you had a history with the White Fang too, in that sense." The heiress shuffled. "So my words may have been a little... insensitive."

"No, it's quite alright." Jaune assured. "It's my fault for reacting the way I did. I shouldn't have said those things."

Silence returned, but the thoughts inside Jaune's head were a whirlwind. Yang had told Weiss about Atlas, meaning he had an actual excuse for the way he'd acted earlier – but in a way, that made things much harder.

He _had_ overreacted. Weiss' words in Goodwitch's class reminded him of Blake – who he thought he could trust, but now he wasn't quite sure about. Why was Blake hiding that she was a faunus? Was she _still_ actually with the White Fang?

He had been angry that he couldn't trust someone who he considered a friend, and he _overreacted_. But now? Now he had a 'reason' to be angry. Whereas he was originally going to be apologizing for being petty and stupid, now he couldn't.

It certainly didn't help that he didn't know 'why' exactly he was supposed to have been angry. Yang had told Weiss about Atlas – which _did_ bother him a little – but he wasn't sure what Yang had been trying to get across.

Bottom line, what about Atlas made his reaction make sense? It was puzzling.

In the end, Jaune settled for the one thing he knew he could say.

"I'm sorry."

Weiss nodded – though whether that was her accepting his apology or not, Jaune was unsure. "If you don't mind, I do have _one_ question for you."

Jaune sighed. "Sure, what is it?"

"Why'd you call yourself Just Saber?"

"Just Saber?" Jaune asked, trying to recall. Upon remembering, the boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, that? That was just a miscommunication. I recall wanting you to refer to me as my callsign, which had been Saber-Thirteen, but that had been too long to say easily, so I'd wanted you to call me just 'Saber'. I couldn't correct you during the mission, or properly introduce myself after the fighting was over because you were taken away in that airship."

"So 'Just Saber' wasn't an alias or anything?" Weiss asked.

"No... but now that you mention it, it does sound like the kind of name a superhero would have." Jaune smiled, stretching his arms out wide from where he sat dramatically. "Here comes 'Just Saber, the Sword of Justice!', right?"

Weiss scoffed in response, but she still smiled lightly. "I can't believe 'my hero' is so immature."

Jaune chuckled uncomfortably in response. Even ironically, having Weiss call him a hero was rather uncomfortable. He needed to change the topic, and he had just the thing. "Say, Weiss, wanna see something cool?"

Jaune fished around in his pouch, looking for the right round, before he stood, bringing it out with a smile. "Synthetic Ice and high-quality Light Dust. Combined." The round glowed softly in his hand as he held it out towards Weiss.

The heiress took a few steps forward, looking at the round he held. She plucked it out of his hand. "It's cold." She stated.

"It's partially activated." Jaune explained. "It's the only way to get Ice and Light to bond properly. I haven't tested it yet, and I was wondering if you'd like to watch."

Weiss turned the round over in her hand, inspecting it. After a few seconds she pressed it back into Jaune's hand. "You know, Yang and Nora have been sitting alone in the dorm for _two hours_ right? What kind of leader are you?"

It was said jokingly, but Jaune paled as he realized: Weiss was right.

Turns out, it wasn't Weiss he needed to be worried about.

"Yang is going to kill me, isn't she?"

Weiss laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I've got your back...

"Just Saber."

Jaune walked towards the door leading back down into the academy, grumbling. "Don't call me that... _Snow Angel_."

The growl Jaune got in return had him laughing all the way to the dorm.

* * *

 **Man, that was fun, wasn't it? Quite a few people had been wondering when I was going to get around to this, but here it is in all it's glory.**

 **Something I want to address before I get reviews asking about it: Velvet laid the smackdown on Yang. Before anyone asks why, or claims Yang wouldn't be defeated so easily, I'll explain: Yang, while she fared well against Mercury in the finals of the Vytal tournament, I don't feel would do too well against someone like Velvet as early in the timeline as we are.**

 **Timeline wise, Yang's most recent fight would have been the club brawl as seen in the Yellow Trailer. Yang showed little difficulty during that fight, but that was also against Junior and the Malachite Twins, who aren't exactly the best of fighters. Fast forward a couple weeks/a month tops, and Yang's fighting someone with two years of Beacon education who has an advantage (as Yang doesn't fare well against 'kick'-based martial arts), it's acceptable that she'd lose.**

 **Yang won against Mercury - who I'm pretty sure might have actually just thrown the fight - but she won by a hair. And that was after a couple months of Beacon training. What I'm trying to say is it isn't unrealistic for Velvet to have won, if you are all doubting her victory. That, and Yang's nerves might have messed her up.**

 **Ranting done, I do hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review or PM me with questions, I'll answer them to the best of my ability.**


	29. Escalation

**Hey all, how're you doing?**

 **Well, the first episode of Vol. 4 came out today (I won't say anything, for those of you who haven't watched it). Consider this chapter a 'celebratory gift', the occasion being the premier.**

 **Though, this chapter would have come out anyways...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Beta: Knight of Cerberus**_

* * *

Jaune cracked his eyes open with a gasping breath. He was so warm – too warm, too hot. He was... angry. With a growl, he pulled his covers aside to expose himself to the cool air, a light breeze passing through the dorm's open window.

The blond ran a hand through his hair, damp with sweat. He was so damn frustrated _,_ but he didn't know why. His mouth felt dry, and his muscles were sore. Sitting up, Jaune took a look around the dorm room. His teammates were sleeping peacefully.

Taking a breath, Jaune stood, a little unsteadily at first. With a couple of quick steps, his feet took him in the direction of the closest of their dorm's washrooms, passing Yang's bed. The girl didn't make a sound as he closed the door behind him as quietly as he could.

He closed his eyes, brow furrowed in concentration, but he couldn't remember what had woken him up.

He couldn't remember what he'd dreamt.

The boy flipped the lights on, making his way over to the sink. Running the tap, Jaune quickly filled a cup with water, staring at the contents for a moment before taking a sip. He sighed, then drank the rest in one fluid motion, before staring at himself in the mirror.

 _I look haggard_.

Jaune smiled at his reflection, the image smiling back – as if mocking him. Though, it did make him feel a _little_ better.

Jaune cut the lights, opening the door carefully. He knew he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep immediately: He felt too restless. Instead, the blond wandered over to the desk, flipping the lamp on before settling in. Opening the drawer to retrieve a few sheets of paper, the boy grabbed a pencil, and began doodling.

But Jaune was only 'doodling' for a short while. Eventually, images began coming to the front of the blond's mind, and he began drawing more earnestly, his techniques changing as well.

 _If it's at an angle less than forty degrees_... _Thirty-five?_ Jaune reached across the desk, grabbing the protractor he'd started using at some point. Laying the tool overtop the sketch, Jaune deftly drew a line connecting the two pieces. _I guess forty_ _is good_. _Though_...

With a growl, the boy erased the line, before redrawing it three more times, eventually settling on an angle of thirty eight.

Jaune continued working, only taking a short break when he needed to sharpen his pencil. In hindsight, the boy wished he'd started his drawings on grid paper, but it was too late for that.

Across the room, Jaune heard Yang stir. The boy continued working for a moment more, before removing his pencil from the paper as he heard her footsteps bring her closer.

"Drawing again?" She asked softly, standing at Jaune's side while she looked down at the designs.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep." Jaune confirmed.

Yang hummed, stretching. She made no other comment, instead strolling over to the washroom, closing the door behind her.

Jaune continued working, as if nothing had happened. It was a few minutes before Yang came back, standing directly behind where he was sitting. The girl rested her chin atop Jaune's head, looping her arms around his neck. She sighed wearily, her tussled hair tickling the skin where it touched.

"So, what's this one supposed to be?" She wondered aloud, her tone indicating she wanted to make a couple guesses herself. Jaune could practically feel her eyes narrow. " _Another_ spear?"

The blond didn't answer her verbally, instead adjusting the ruler before drawing a couple matching lines.

"So, it's _not_ a spear. But then... what is- _Oh._ " Yang cut herself off. "I see. But what about the vent?"

"The shaft." Jaune stated simply, tapping the end of his pencil against the 'back'. "Here."

Yang placed her hands on Jaune's shoulders, the boy grunting as she pushed herself back up to her full height. "How do you do this?"

The boy tilted his head backwards, looking up at his partner. "What do you mean?"

"It's genius _._ The design, I mean." Yang complimented, staring back into his eyes. She then shook her head quickly. "But you're never actually going to make it, are you?"

Jaune shrugged, even in Yang's grip. "Dunno."

"That's what I mean." Yang sighed. "You're putting so much effort into it, and it'll likely never be actually built. It's uncanny."

"Well, anything can change." Jaune responded, holding the sheet up against the room's only active light source.

"It doesn't really look like anything you'd use, either." Yang continued.

Jaune nodded in agreement. "Yeah, a little _too_ bulky for my tastes."

"Ooh, I like it!"

"Thanks Nora, I appreci- _Nora?_ "

Jaune turned, and sure enough: next to Yang as if she simply belonged there, was Nora. The girl grinned, standing there in her pajamas, not a care in the world.

After nearly two full weeks living in the same dorm as the girl, Jaune knew what was next.

"Good _morni_ -" Jaune didn't quite make it in time, using his hand to cover the girl's mouth as his chair tilted backwards. The only thing stopping him from toppling over was Yang, the girl struggling not with his weight, but with not making any noise. The room turned deathly still as both him and Yang turned, the two sets of eyes trained on the only member of JWYN not awake.

 _Please_ , _no_...

After a moment, Weiss' covers shuffled, and the heiress snorted, fast asleep.

Jaune let out a sigh of relief, before he realized just how damp his hand suddenly became, releasing Nora in shock as Yang put him back 'down'.

"Did you just _lick my hand_?"

" _You can't prove it was me_." The energetic girl sang – albeit quietly.

"What are you doing up?" Yang quizzed.

"What are _you_ doing up?" Nora shot back suspiciously. "Did you two arrange this so you could have a little 'together' time?"

"What? _No_! I-" This time, it was Yang's mouth Jaune had to cover, the boy moving more carefully so as to not topple over, knowing Nora wouldn't have been able to catch him.

There was a moment of perfect silence, Nora's smile disappearing even as Jaune began to shiver. Yang's eyes seemed to grow to the size of dinner plates.

" _What are you three doing_?"

The three members of JWYN who'd been awake thus far then turned to the only occupied bed, and the heiress who was sitting up straight, one eye twitching in what Jaune could easily recognize as anger.

"Morning Weiss." He called over with an apologetic smile, hoping to appease her.

It didn't work. The girl checked her scroll, the light illuminating her tired face. She turned her eyes back up towards them, glaring at them all collectively. "It's _three o'clock_ in the _morning_."

"That's still morning." Nora 'cleverly' pointed out.

The heiress growled in response.

Jaune's hand turned damp – _again –_ and he released Yang. "Gah, you too?"

"Hey Weiss, if a-"

"If that's a pun, I will _end_ you."

"O-okay..." To Weiss' credit, Yang actually hesitated, but the moment didn't last. "If a mortician and his pet skunk were to-"

Weiss didn't even let Yang finish, the heiress quickly shedding her covers as she leapt off her bed. "You're _mine_!"

Reacting as quickly as he could, Jaune stood and pushed his chair in almost simultaneously before diving to the side, hauling Nora down as Weiss closed the distance between herself and Yang. With a surprised laugh, Yang dodged the other direction, Weiss stopping before she collided with the desk.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Yang taunted.

The dim room shone brightly as a glyph appeared beneath Weiss' feet.

Yang paled. " _Cheater_."

* * *

"So, Pyrrha..."

The girl herself could hardly hear Ren talk, the buzz of the cafeteria around them drowning nearly everything out but her own thoughts. The leader of PBRL looked up from her tray, curious as to what was on the boy's mind.

"Yes?"

"Have you heard anything about this field trip of ours that we're going on tomorrow?"

"The one to Forever Fall?"

Ren nodded in response.

"Probably just as much as you." That was the truth. All Pyrrha knew was that they were going _._ Goodwitch hadn't said anything else. Not to her, not to any other student.

"I see..."

Pyrrha smiled awkwardly as the boy went back to eating his food. She noticed Blake glance at Ren out of the corner of her eye, before returning her attention to her book without a word

The tournament regular kept the sigh from passing between her lips, spearing a forkful of salad. She didn't know if it was herself doing something wrong, or if the two other first year teams were like this as well.

With the time her and her teammates had spent together spent over the past couple weeks since initiation, she figured things would be better by now, but...

PBRL _wasn't_ a true team. Not yet.

Since day one, Blake had kept to herself, not really interacting with Ruby, Pyrrha, or even Ren, her partner, unless she had to. It was a similar case with Ren, but the boy was a little more outspoken. Ruby had been fine for the first few days, but then she'd started spending a lot of time reading.

Of course, there was no obvious rift between her teammates when PBRL wasn't alone: If team JWYN were sitting with Pyrrha and her team at the cafeteria table, everyone would be chatting amicably, as if nothing was wrong.

Ruby would be badgering Jaune, asking him question after question about... _something_. Nora would talk Ren's ear off. Blake and Yang would talk about books... everyone could speak relatively freely and they did, Pyrrha included.

Pyrrha still wondered what JWYN was like when both teams were alone; if Jaune's team had the same problems her's did. And what about CRDL? She hadn't heard much about their team, only knowing they were spending almost all their 'free' time with their mentor, Professor Port.

The huntress in training bit down on a grape tomato, glancing up at her teammates. Was it her fault? Was she doing something wrong? She looked to Ruby, the girl beside her eating her food quietly, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Was there something she could do?

"Say, I was wondering..." Pyrrha started slowly, an idea coming to mind. "What do you guys think about heading down to Vale this weekend?"

Everyone regarded Pyrrha's question in their own way: Blake glanced over the top of her book, Ruby looked at her out of the corner of her eye, chewing the forkful of food in her mouth... Ren leaned forwards, interested.

"What for?" the lone male of PBRL asked curiously.

"Well..." Pyrrha wasn't usually the type of person to look for excuses, but she couldn't just say ' _because it would be good team building_ ' or ' _I want to know more about you guys_ '.

"I didn't see much of Vale before I came here to Beacon." Pyrrha admitted. "I figured it would be nice for the four of us to go and spend some time in the city."

"Sure." To Pyrrha's surprise, it was Blake who agreed almost instantly. "If you don't mind a little detour for me to pick a few things up, that is."

"Same here." Ruby added, nodding in agreement. "I was thinking of making the trip myself, but if we go together, it'll be more fun, right?"

Pyrrha smiled at just how _easily_ Ruby could say that. "Of course."

Maybe _she_ should have been PBRL's leader.

"Should we ask JWYN along?" Ren suggested.

" _No_!"

Pyrrha covered her own mouth, even knowing she'd already said what she was thinking. Her cheeks began to flush, hot with embarrassment.

 _Stupid_... _Stupid_!

Everyone else stared at her in surprise. Pyrrha was certain a student or two sitting further down the table looked over at the outburst, hearing her even over the cafeteria's chatter.

"No?" Ren quizzed seriously, his head tilted slightly.

Ruby was next. "Why not?"

Blake just stared curiously, her book hiding the lower half of her face.

"I-" Pyrrha stuttered, unsure what to say. She honestly felt like she was under more pressure than she'd even felt during her first tournament final, years ago.

Finally, after a moment, she gave in. "I... I want us to go as a team."

"Oh. Okay."

Pyrrha's head snapped in the direction of her partner.

Ruby's silver eyes stared back, smiling. "Why didn't you just say so? I was scared for a moment there."

"You mean... that's okay?" Pyrrha's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Just the four of us, as a team?"

Ren shrugged. "Of course."

The champion sighed, her previously tensed muscles relaxing.

"It'll be a little hard though." Ren noted as he stared down at the table, Pyrrha wondering what he meant.

"Why?" Ruby asked in Pyrrha's stead.

"Nora'll probably beg to come along... and if I don't tell her we're going, she'll know something's up."

Pyrrha winced, knowing exactly what the boy was talking about, considering how the girl nearly tackled him anytime he was in her sight. "You two are close."

"We are." The boy stated certainly – _naturally_. "We've never been this 'far apart'. In fact, I..."

Pyrrha and Ruby leaned a little closer, Ren getting progressively quieter with every word.

"It's nothing. Nevermind." The boy affirmed, returning to his typical demeanor. "Actually, now that I think about it, where _is_ Nora's team?"

All the members of PBRL looked back and forth between one another, before collectively shrugging. The eight of them usually ate together, but JWYN's absence wasn't unusual. Chances were they'd opted to pay Miss Goodwitch a visit. Being their mentor-

 _Wait._

Pyrrha's eyes widened. "What time is it?"

Brow furrowed, Blake checked her scroll "Twelve fifty- _oh no_." The girl looked up just as panicked as Pyrrha felt. "We need to be at Oobleck's in two minutes."

In one fluid motion, Ren, Blake and Pyrrha stood, scrambling towards the exit – Ruby was already gone, the tail end of her cloak fluttering behind her as she left the cafeteria.

They knew what they would have to deal with if they were late to their mentor's session.

* * *

"Now then, Miss Rose. If Miss Belladonna is 'surrendering', what would be the best course of action?"

To Pyrrha's relief, her team hadn't been 'late': Ruby must have ran into Dr. Oobleck just before the clock hit one, somehow distracting him for long enough that he didn't notice herself, Ren, and Blake had been just a few seconds behind.

There would be no punishment today, and for that, Pyrrha was thankful. Instead, their mentor had taken her team to Beacon's simulation room, where they'd already been ran through various scenarios, and were now presented with a new challenge.

"I'd move to the rooftop of that building." Ruby pointed down at the holographic structure. "It's a good vantage point, and I'd be able to take down any threats from there."

Oobleck hummed, walking around the display so he was next to Ruby. "It's a good choice, I won't lie; but it isn't your best option. First, you would have to make it to the rooftop, which would waste priceless seconds. Second, if you wanted to use the recoil from your sniper rifle to make it up to the rooftop quicker, you would certainly give away your position. Lastly – though I know your skill with a rifle is unmatched, even here at Beacon – there is the slim chance you'll miss your targets, or worse, hit Miss Belladonna or the civilian."

Ruby pursed her lips, perhaps annoyed with how systemically their mentor had torn apart her choice. "What would be better, then?"

Oobleck looked across the display. "Miss Nikos, what should she do in this situation?"

Pyrrha crossed her arms, studying the hologram. They were running through an 'urban combat' scenario, tasked with taking down members of a gang - non-lethally, if they could. Oobleck had constantly switched their positions around the simulation, providing all sorts of scenarios they'd likely have to deal with.

'Ruby' was currently in an alleyway, not far from Blake's position. Blake herself was surrounded by gang members – one of them holding a civilian hostage. Blake had already made her best decision, standing down when she noticed the hostage – though she'd 'tried' everything else beforehand.

Using all the information before her, Pyrrha made what she figured would be the best choice.

"Ruby should stay at street-level, hidden in the shadow of this building." Pyrrha pointed to the same building Ruby had chosen as her vantage point earlier. "She can see the hostage and the gang-member holding her, so she can wait for an opening."

"And if an opening doesn't present itself?" Oobleck challenged.

"She'll have to wait longer."

"...Excellent choice. There is no time limit to this operation, and the gang members won't move against Blake, knowing she can easily subdue them. They took the hostage to stop her from acting aggressively, so guaranteeing the civilian's safety is still top priority. Now..." Oobleck tapped at his scroll, another green model appearing. "Mr. Lie, what would you do?"

"I'd move to hide behind these boxes here. It would put me in a good position to do damage control should anything go wrong."

"And if you're spotted?"

"I wouldn't be." Ren stated certainly. "Everyone's eyes are on Blake."

Their mentor smiled in response. "Very good. I'll accept it, but just so you know, you only know that because both Ruby and Blake know. When we do blind scenarios next week, you _won_ 't have the knowledge their perspective supply."

"I... Understood."

"Now then!" Oobleck shouted, making Pyrrha wince. "We can all agree this is a good setup, correct?"

Pyrrha looked among her teammates, everyone nodding their approval. She didn't have a place on the board because, ironically, she was still on her way.

Oobleck ran the simulation, the models beginning to move. The red 'gang members' closed in on Blake, Ruby moved towards her position, and Ren his.

Then, the gang member shot the hostage.

" _What_?" Everyone called out, failing the objective before they'd even been able to do anything. They all turned to Oobleck, but the man was just as baffled as they were.

"Well, _that_ certainly hasn't happened in a long time." The man pressed his glasses up his nose, checking the scroll. "Apparently, the man panicked. Usually, a huntress surrendering would mean the opposite, making the hostage-taker relax."

The professor sighed, crossing his arms. "There must be a bug in the system... the technical staff is still cleaning up the last 'update'. I won't mark this down as a loss, but I suppose there's a valuable lesson to be taught here: anything can happen... at _anytime_. Be prepared for everything in the field, students."

"Can we add something about technology being unreliable?" Blake joked dryly, staring at the civilian's 'corpse'.

"If you'd like." Oobleck answered, Blake's humor lost on their mentor. "The four of you are dismissed; I'm going to have to report this error."

Pyrrha frowned, looking down at the display as it faded, their mentor turning it off.

It felt... _wrong_.

PBRL left the simulation room quietly, not speaking amongst themselves as they made their way down the empty hallway, normal classes for other students still in session.

"You know, it doesn't feel _right_." Ruby spoke, her words echoing down the hall, mirroring Pyrrha's feelings. "Oobleck said it was a bug... but-"

"It still feels like a failure." Blake finished. "I know what you mean."

Ren nodded. "We'll get it next time." He said optimistically.

Pyrrha stopped, turning back to look at the simulation room door.

"Pyrrha?"

The redhead whipped her head back to her team, the three of them taking a few steps forwards after she'd stopped.

"I'll see you back at the dorm. There's something I want to talk to Dr. Oobleck about."

Before anyone could respond, Pyrrha began jogging back towards the sim room. Oobleck was their mentor... and that meant he could help her, right?

"Dr. Oobleck!" Pyrrha called, pushing the still open door open wider.

Her team's mentor looked up, having been typing something on his scroll. "Miss Nikos, back so soon?"

"Yes, doctor. There's... something I need your opinion on."

Oobleck nodded. "I'm here to help. What do you need?"

"My team... I..." Pyrrha started out. She knew what she wanted to ask, but the question was _how_.

"We don't have all day, Miss Nikos." Her mentor urged.

"How do I become a better leader?"

The professor met Pyrrha's eyes, his own shining brightly from behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed slightly, and PBRL's leader panicked slightly.

"I'm sorry, it's a stupid question, but-"

"It's not a stupid question, Miss Nikos. Sit."

Pyrrha looked around for a chair, but – as she recalled – there were no chairs in the simulation room. She turned back to Dr. Oobleck, just in time to see the man relax into a sitting position, directly on the room's floor.

After a moment, Pyrrha did the same.

"It's not a stupid question... just one that's hard to answer. About as hard a question to answer, as it is to ask." Oobleck smiled briefly. "A question that is hard to ask deserves an answer, wouldn't you think?

"I-"

"Leaders, such as they are, are not born. There's no such thing as a born leader. True leaders aren't 'chosen' either - quite humorous, considering Vale has had both 'born' and 'chosen' leaders since its inception.

"Nevertheless, you've been 'chosen' as the leader of your team. But you don't feel like a leader, and that's why you're asking me for advice, correct?"

Pyrrha nodded.

"True leaders are _made_ leaders. I can tell you right now that no one is ever instantly comfortable in a position of leadership. You need to grow into it, and Beacon chose you because they see that potential for growth in you."

Pyrrha nodded again, but there was something nagging at the back of her head. "But how do I grow into it?"

Oobleck opened his mouth to speak, before he visibly hesitated, frowning. After a moment, he moved to speak again:

"Most everyone else would give you a simple answer: 'Oh, just be yourself, and everything will work out'. I, am not such a person. I am your team's mentor, and a proud professor of Beacon Academy."

The championship fighter swallowed the lump in her throat, waiting patiently for the professor's answer.

"You'll need to actively strive towards your goal. You want to be a leader? You need to become a leader; 'being yourself' isn't going to cut it. This world has seen its fair share of kings, queens, generals, revolutionaries... It's best to decide now, and work towards what kind of leader you need to be."

"Then how will I know?" Pyrrha asked. "How will I know what kind of leader I need to be?"

"By looking at what the people following your lead want to be."

The man's answer came suddenly, as if he'd known what Pyrrha was going to ask before she asked it. "What?"

"Your team, Miss Nikos. Be the leader they need, and they'll follow you. It's that simple."

Was that all she had to do? The only question then, was what kind of leader did her team need her to be? - and she knew Oobleck wouldn't be able to answer that.

Only PBRL's leader could.

"Dr. Oobleck?"

' _It just doesn't feel right_.'

' _It feels like a failure_.'

"Yes Miss Nikos?"

The leader of team PBRL smiled up at her mentor.

"Mark down our last scenario as a loss."

* * *

Tossing a stub of chalk not even a centimeter long into the trash bin next to his desk, Qrow Branwen breathed heavily out through his nose.

Of all the students he taught, he was certain that more than a couple of them might have thought his mind had been elsewhere all throughout their classes today – and they wouldn't be wrong.

He'd gotten the message from Ozpin first thing in the morning: He had somewhere he needed to be, and no matter how much he enjoyed teaching the future huntsmen and huntresses that passed through Signal, his 'personal business' was much more important on the grand scale of things.

The classroom was empty. Qrow, having dismissed his students roughly a minute ago, sat in his chair, pen and paper on the desk before him. He brought out his scroll, propping it up against one of the books scattered across the table.

With practiced ease, Qrow translated the symbols on the display before him. James may have guaranteed the network their scrolls were linked to was the most secure across all of Remnant, but that didn't stop himself, Ozpin, and a few other members from communicating in code.

He translated the entire message in two minutes – an astounding feat considering just how long the message was. He read it once, twice, three times, before he withdrew the lighter from his pocket – one reserved _just_ for such an occasion – setting the decoded message aflame. After that, he deleted the coded, digital version as well.

 _So, Mistral, huh_?

Qrow looked out the window, groaning in discomfort at the thought of the trip. It _was_ quite a flight. Maybe it would have been better to take a boat, or an airship...

Despite the apparent 'urgency' of his assignment, Qrow knew that _Autumn_ was safe for the time being.

It had been a long time since he'd been on a boat. Cheaper than an airship, too.

"Alright, that settles it." Qrow confirmed with himself. He'd make the short flight to Vale, then find a ride from there. It'd be a lot longer of a trip, but also a lot more comfortable than roughing it as he crossed the countryside, then having to cross an entire ocean before he could rest again.

Qrow stood, sweeping the cold pile of ashes off his desk. It was a little superstitious of him, but he didn't dump them in the garbage, instead cracking the window open slightly and tossing them outside.

The man stretched, knowing he was about to deal with the hardest part of his trip.

He had to lie to Tai.

Cursing under his breath, Qrow made his way to his classroom's exit, looking back at the empty desks for but a moment as he pulled the door open. He'd miss his students. He had a couple promising pupils this year too, though they were nothing like Jaune or Yang.

He smiled at the thought of the two blondes. Who knew what they were getting up to over at Beacon.

As Qrow entered the hallway, he quickly stepped back – but, oddly, he wasn't fast enough as a rather short girl ran right into him. Qrow managed to stay on his feet, but the girl wasn't nearly as coordinated, falling to the ground in a heap, dropping her books in the process.

 _Ah,_ _shit_. "Hey, are you alright?" Qrow took a knee, the girl propping herself up as she stared up at the teacher. "You should watch where you're going."

"Ah!" The girl nearly leapt to her feet, bowing apologetically. "I'm _so_ sorry sir, I was in such a hurry, and I wasn't really paying attention- well, I _was_ paying attention, but-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Qrow placated. "Just be more careful."

The girl took a deep breath in, not meeting Qrow's eyes. "Yes sir, I'll be more careful." The student – not his – bent down, and started collecting the hefty books she'd dropped. Qrow, already kneeling, assisted the girl, taking note of the titles as he gathered them.

 _Advanced Tactics and Applications_ , _The Physics of Dust and Combat_... There was even a copy of _Revised Military Theorem and Politics_ , something Qrow taught Signal's fourth-year hunter aspirants.

He hadn't recognized the girl immediately, so chances were she was a new student.

"These your books, kid?" Qrow held out the stack he'd collected, which the girl took.

"Yes sir." She answered quickly, her arms _very much_ full. "Thank you. If you'll excuse me."

The girl stepped past him, her neck length black hair bouncing as she moved along.

She took a few more steps before Qrow called out to her. "You know,, those are fourth-year textbooks, right?"

The first-year stopped and turned, meeting Qrow's eyes. The veteran huntsman's breath caught in his throat. Her eyes glowed, silver like the moon. Her expression was fierce... determined. _Resolute_.

"But of course." She answered. "I need to do everything I can to catch up to my brother, after all."

* * *

"Yang, get behind me!" Jaune called out, watching as Yang barely managed to dodge in time, the large mass of stone breaking apart on impact with the stone beneath her. Reacting to his call, the girl dove, dodging several smaller rocks as she rolled into place behind him.

"I can't get close to her." She pointed out, resting one hand on Jaune's shoulder as she looked over it, safe behind him and the cover provided by his shield. A few rocks clanged off of the metal surface, the vibration making his arm tingle.

 _We're going to have to wait until Nora or Weiss make an opening_. Jaune glanced to his left, where Weiss was crouched behind a chunk of ruined building that had been thrown earlier. The heiress, noticing Jaune's gaze, and shook her head. _Okay, so Nora then_. Wherever the redhead was, he hoped she was doing something.

The sun, as it had been beating down on them, stopped doing so. In the sudden shadow, Jaune looked up, seeing the faint outline of another chunk of what was previously a building made of stone, a dull purple glow accenting it as it floated.

Yang's hand squeezed his shoulder tightly. "You can't block that."

"No." Jaune confirmed.

Yang clicked her tongue. "As soon as it moves we-"

Miss Goodwitch, team JWYN's 'opponent', didn't give Yang time to finish, even if she _had_ heard the girl talking. The mass of rock flew towards their position. Yang ran to the right, and Jaune moved forwards, shield held above his head as the oversized projectile soared over. He felt the ground shake after the impact.

The rubble had blocked his vision, however, and the last thing he expected when he brought his shield down was for Nora, shrouded in the same purple glow, to crash into him with a surprised yell.

Remaining on his feet became difficult, and Jaune toppled, Nora laying across his chest even as he lay back on the grass.

"That's time!" Goodwitch called out, and Jaune groaned.

Weiss, from her spot behind her cover, even let out a high-pitched " _Really_?"

Again, they couldn't even _touch_ their mentor. Goodwitch had been sitting high above them, perched atop a rock she levitated with her semblance. She was low enough that she was well within their reach if they jumped, but high up enough that it would be difficult.

Their objective was to land _one_ single hit in five minutes, and they couldn't even do that. Everything they tried had failed: Nora's grenades were slow enough that Goodwitch could 'catch' them with her semblance, throwing them right back. Yang couldn't get close enough to do any 'damage', and both Weiss' Dust based attacks and Jaune's bullets were easily intercepted by floating rubble.

Jaune still hadn't tried his Dust rounds, but he still didn't trust using them against human targets: he knew what they did to Grimm and boulders... even if Goodwitch seemed untouchable, he still didn't feel like risking it.

"Ugh, I was _so_ close." Nora complained, pushing herself up before helping Jaune to his feet. He hadn't seen _how_ close, so the blond didn't comment. Yang and Weiss joined the two, lining up as Goodwitch landed.

"It's an improvement, but you four need to communicate better." Goodwitch stated. "In a situation such as this, teamwork is key. Jaune and Yang."

"Yes?" It was still weird hearing their professor call them by their first names as opposed to 'Mr Arc' or 'Miss Xiao Long'. She still referred to them as such in class or in the halls, but during their training she dropped the formalities, though Jaune didn't know why.

"It would be efficient to develop codewords, or simply state 'left' or 'right', rather than stopping to discuss a strategy in the middle of a fight. I urge you to do so." Goodwitch turned her attention to Weiss and Nora. "Same for the two of you as well. In fact, I expect you all to have a system of communication in place by our next session.

"If you don't I will be highly disappointed."

Weiss nodded in response, and Jaune could see the bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face, though whether that was from their mentor's assignment or their prior physical effort the boy was unsure. "Yes, Miss Goodwitch." They chorused.

"Good. You are dismissed." JWYN's mentor turned, walking down the path that they all knew would take them back to Beacon.

Their training area had been a clearing just on the edge of Beacon's grounds, on the boundary of the Emerald Forest. There was a small cospe of trees that, if you had climbed the tallest one, you could see the cliff they were 'launched' from for initiation. When they'd first entered the clearing, there had been an old ruin, half buried and its purpose unknown.

Of course, the 'old ruin' had been quickly scattered across the clearing during their first training session. Every session since, the landscape would change dramatically, and what had once been a tranquil clearing had become a scarred battlefield worthy of the Great War.

Once Goodwitch was gone, Jaune walked over to a toppled tree trunk, sitting on top of it. "Well, ' _it's an improvement_ ', as she said."

"But still not enough." Yang finished for him, crossing her arms as her, Weiss and Nora fanned out in front of him.

"Right." Jaune confirmed. "Anyone want to head up this whole 'codeword' thing?"

Both Nora and Yang shook their heads. Jaune turned to Weiss.

"I'll do it." The heiress confirmed, likely knowing that she was the best choice.

Since Jaune had been outed as 'Just Saber', Weiss had definitely been more amicable, though Jaune hoped that was less because of what he'd done back in Atlas, and more because she now _knew –_ though one might consider those two things the 'same'.

"Fine by me." Jaune checked his scroll. "We've got a half an hour till our next classes. Should we head back now?"

Jaune got three nods in response, and moved to stand.

"Wait, hold on." Yang stepped forward, pushing Jaune back down, the action surprising the boy. The girl turned, facing their teammates. "I need to have a quick word with Jaune, you two go ahead."

Weiss and Nora shared a glance, before the former nodded in acceptance. "Alright, but don't take too long. I don't want either of you late for your classes."

"Later!" Nora sang, skipping ahead. Weiss hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to add something else, before following her partner.

Jaune stared at Yang, watching her as she watched Weiss and Nora leave. What she wanted, Jaune hadn't a clue... but if she wanted to talk to him alone...

A minute passed in silence, Jaune wondering what Yang was keeping him for. He considered all the possibilities: maybe she had an issue with Weiss or Nora she hadn't wanted to mention in front of them? It wasn't likely, but he wasn't by their sides every second of every day. Could it have been something about Ruby? Yang's sister being his cousin wasn't a 'secret', but they hadn't mentioned it to anyone yet – unless the younger girl had.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Yang took a seat to Jaune's right. The boy waited patiently for her to speak, knowing she would eventually.

But she didn't.

The two sat there on the upturned log, not talking, not moving. Normally, Jaune would be able to enjoy the peace and quiet, the cold bark beneath him... but he was anxious.

What did Yang want?

"What do you think of Beacon so far Jaune?" The girl asked, staring straight ahead.

The question was very 'conversationalist' of Yang, and Jaune recognized immediately it wasn't what she wanted to talk about.

"I like it." He answered honestly, rolling with it anyways. It wasn't like Yang to avoid a topic she felt she needed to talk about. "Like a new 'home away from home, away from home'."

His partner smiled lightly at that. "Isn't that what you called Signal once?"

Jaune nodded. "I don't remember saying it to you directly, but yeah."

"Do you miss Signal?" She asked, tilting her head.

The boy opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment as he pondered his answer, before nodding again. "I do, yeah."

"Same here." Yang admitted. "I spent a lot of time in those halls, dad and Uncle Qrow being teachers and all."

Jaune nodded again. He couldn't really relate, but he knew what she meant.

The blonde sighed again. She shuffled a little closer, before leaning slightly, resting her head against Jaune's shoulder. Jaune went still at the contact.

 _What_?

"Beacon wouldn't be the same if you weren't here, you know?"

"How so?" Jaune asked quickly, his nervousness passing as quickly as it had come. He had to resist the urge to tilt his head slightly, to rest against hers.

Then, it came back to Jaune: he didn't really notice at the time, but didn't Yang do something similar earlier in the morning? They had been talking then, too, when he was drawing. She'd rested her chin on his head...

 _And there was that_ _kiss_.

"If I'd been on the same team as Ruby, I think it would have been different but...without you here, I'm sure I would have been lonely..." Yang took a breath. "Back at Signal, too. I can't imagine what the fourth year would have been like without you there."

Jaune thought about that for a moment as he looked down at Yang. "I think things would be a _lot_ different if we weren't friends."

Yang glanced up for but a moment, frowning. "I suppose. What I mean to say is..." Yang reached forward, grabbing Jaune's hand. "I'm glad you're here."

Jaune's face felt warm at Yang's words, his hand in her grip. He wasn't sure how to respond, but his answer came as naturally as breathing.

 _And there was that kiss._

"I'm glad I'm here with you."

Yang smiled, before she pulled Jaune's hand so it was up to eye level. The blonde's face then flushed red, before she let go, letting his hand drop.

"I di- I didn't-" She stammered, almost looking like she had a fever. "I didn't just do that, did I?"

Jaune blinked in response. "What do you mean? The hand grabbing thing, or the 'I'm glad you're here thing'?"

" _Yes_." She answered.

"Yes?"

" _Both_." She covered her eyes with her hand. " _Shit_."

Jaune smiled uncertainly. Yang's face was unusually bright, and he'd never seen her this flustered. "Are you okay?"

"Yes – _no –_ I mean... _ugh_."

The boy chuckled as the girl struggled to respond, though there was a slight queasiness in his stomach. Now that Yang had stopped holding his hand, he noticed how much it shook.

 _And there was that kiss_.

Almost reflexively, he reached for Yang's free hand, taking it in his own.

It felt better that way.

"Jaune?" She took her other hand away from her eyes, looking up to him.

"Do you think Weiss will be angry if we're just a _little_ late?" The blond wondered aloud. It was a little hard to speak, as if his words would fail him at any moment.

Gods, could he do _this_?

 _Would she accept it_?

"Without a doubt. You'd just gotten on her good side, too." Yang answered, lightly chuckling with her cheeks still red. "Why?"

Jaune leaned forwards, pressing his lips to Yang's. After a second, Jaune pulled back.

"Because I wouldn't mind if we just stayed here for a while." Jaune suggested quietly, heart hammering in his chest. "The two o- _mhp_!"

Yang had grabbed Jaune by his collar, pulling him back in, pushing her lips against his aggressively. She shoved him down, and Jaune realized just how uncomfortable it was to have both Aquila and Horizon holstered at his back as Yang's weight pressed him against the log.

But Jaune didn't care – he was more concerned about when exactly Yang was going to give him a chance to breathe.

Finally, the girl broke off the kiss, laughing wildly.

The girl breathed heavily, laying atop his chest. "Jaune, I think we're going to be more than a _little_ late."

* * *

The library of Haven Academy was quiet. Empty. Then again, such a thing was expected, considering how late into the evening it was. It was the kind of place one would consider peaceful and relaxing: find a quiet spot in the corner... curl up with a nice, brand new, first edition copy of a book they'd _just_ stolen... and just _relax_. Had they been alone...

"You know, I figured the answer would've been _C_ , but-"

"Bolin, we've _already_ discussed this. The answer was _D_."

"But _why_?"

Emerald Sustrai, at the present moment in time, hated _everything_.

The thief turned, meeting the bright green eyes of one of her 'teammates': Neo. The shorter girl, in disguise, knowing she wasn't being watched by _anyone_ but Emerald, smiled brightly, before dragging a thumb across her throat.

Emerald was only glad there was someone having _just_ as much fun as she was, she shook her head at the sadistic girl, even as the mute pouted.

Though, she supposed it could have been worse.

She _could_ have been with Mercury, 'hanging out' with the all male team SSSN instead. Then she'd be with _five_ people she absolutely couldn't stand being around. But of course, this was all 'part of the plan'.

And so, Emerald put up with team ABRN, even becoming 'friends'.

Why their 'fellow' Haven team had seen fit to hang around her and Neo all night, the girl was unsure. It honestly made the girl want to strangle someone – _preferably Mercury_.

It required some serious acting too – especially with Bolin and Nadir, the two boys on the team. She supposed that if she had led a different, 'normal' life, the boys would have been quite pleasant. The girls, Arslan and Reese were much easier to deal with, the former always busy handling the boys, and the latter keeping to herself, constantly tinkering with her weapons.

But Emerald had more important things to worry about. And as such, dealing with the team became a nuisance.

' _It's only a few months, dear Emerald._ ' Cinder had said. ' _Then, a few more at Beacon. I'm sure you can handle something so trivial_...'

When her boss had put it that way, it sounded easy. Even now, however, the girl was having her doubts. But if they could tough it out, then they wouldn't have to worry about a thing.

Cinder hadn't told them _everything_... but they knew enough that the closer they grew to their 'assigned teams', the better. And with each passing day, the payoff had sounded even sweeter.

' _Follow me, and you'll never be hungry again._ '

The promise echoed in her head, and she smiled.

"Hey, Emerald... I've got a question for 'ya."

The mint-haired girl looked up from the book she'd been trying _very_ hard to distract herself with, meeting the eyes of Reese Chloris, one of the more tolerable people she'd met at Haven.

"Do you know much about Dust?"

 _Yes_. "No, sorry." Emerald lied naturally. "Why?"

The girl looked down at the small toolkit on the table in front of her. "Oh, I just had a theory, but I wanted to get a second opinion before testing it out, 'ya know?"

Emerald hummed. Just because she 'hated everything' about what she was doing, didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun. "What is it?"

Reese looked back up. "The theory? Well, my hoverboard uses Wind Dust as a power source, but I was wondering what would happen if I used something _else_."

 _The setup is all done_... _now_... "Yeah, I can't really help you with that. My partner Mercury, however... he's quite knowledgeable about Dust and machinery though."

It _was_ the truth, after all... and also the source of Emerald's revenge.

 _Damn smug paraplegic_. _This is for saying I have a crush on Sage_...

* * *

 **Ah, young love; I know that's what's on many of your minds. I'd go on, using many descriptive words that I don't even know the definition of, but I won't.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This one was hella' fun to write.**

 **See you next time!**


	30. Bonding

**Hi everyone! It's good to see you!**

 **For those of you who don't follow Just A Few Pointers, my other story, I made mention of having a Discord server for people to talk about Fanfiction, RWBY, and anything else. If you're interested in joining, I'll talk more about that at the bottom.**

 **Aside from that, you guys have a chapter to read. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Tell the readers I said hi._ "

* * *

Sitting on the end of her bed while filling Myrtenaster's Dust chambers, Weiss Schnee had come to a realization not long after she woke up.

 _Something's... wrong_.

The early morning sun shone through the dorm's open window, the natural light filling the room with a soothing glow. But the sun's rays didn't even hold a candle to how bright and cheery Yang was.

"Jaune," the blonde girl called across the room in a sing-song voice, digging through the closet in nothing but her underwear, "come help me pick out what to wear!"

Weiss looked over to Jaune, the boy sitting cross-legged on his own bed, fiddling with his weapons.

"I'm fine with whatever." He replied, not looking away from his work.

"Come on." Yang looked back to him with a bright smile. "What kind of guy would pass up the opportunity to choose what a girl like me would wear?"

"An idiot." Nora called out from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Exactly." Yang agreed with a nod.

The heiress didn't say anything, setting her weapon aside now that she'd finished refilling it. Jaune was silent as well, putting the freshly cleaned pieces of Horizon back together on his blanket.

It wasn't unusual for Yang to be... energetic, however _this_ was a little much – especially for so early in the morning. The blonde was humming, setting articles of clothing aside either to try on or get a better look at others.

"If you don't say anything, I'll just go like this." Yang half-threatened, Weiss watching as she posed provocatively in her current state of undress.

"I don't think Weiss would let you." Jaune countered, glancing up for a second before returning to his work. He was certainly correct there. "Why not just wear what you usually do?"

"Because that's boring." Yang sighed, striding over to Jaune's bed. "If we're going on a field trip, I need to dress up a little."

"That doesn't even make sense. You didn't even 'dress up' for those missions we took at Signal." Jaune protested. "We're only going to Forever Fa- Hey!"

Weiss didn't see which piece of Horizon Yang had taken – nor did she think she'd recognize it even if she had – but as Jaune had been about to reach for it, the buxom blonde got to it first.

"You're not getting this back." Yang claimed. The girl smiled victoriously as she stuffed the piece into her bra. "Not until you help me pick out what to wear."

Instead of the defeated expression Weiss expected to find on her leader's face, the boy grinned and stood defiantly.

"You think _that's_ going to stop me?"

Weiss shot to her feet, her face warm. "Time _out_!" She called, rushing between them pushing the two apart. "What are you two doing?"

Jaune and Yang looked at her, then looked at each other, then stared back at Weiss blankly.

The heiress sighed in frustration and held out her hand towards the aggressor. "Give me whatever you just took."

Yang frowned, pulled the piece from between her breasts, and pressed it into Weiss' hand. Knowing where it had just been, as well as noting its slight warmth, Weiss felt her face heat up even more. "Now," she began, turning towards the boy, "the sooner you help Yang decide what to wear, the sooner you can go back to your maintenance."

Jaune clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That's fair, I suppose."

Weiss took a deep breath as both the blondes moved over towards the closet. She looked to the piece of metal in her hand, a pin of sorts, put it down with the other pieces on Jaune's blanket, and returned to her own bed.

Watching the two carefully, the heiress narrowed her eyes. There _was_ something wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Yang was extraordinarily pleasant, and Jaune wasn't flustered as easily as usual.

Something happened.

"Why do you only ever wear the one outfit if you have these many clothes?" Jaune remarked, as Yang pulled out another top and bottom. The girl just shrugged, holding the two pieces together to show what they would look like combined.

The door to the bathroom swung open, Nora skipping out while humming a tune to herself, already prepared for the trip. "Make sure you pick something that shows off her front bumpers."

"Will do." Jaune agreed, watching as Yang held yet another shirt up to her chest. There was a pause before he looked over his shoulder, brow furrowed. "Did I just agree to that?"

"You did." Weiss pointed out, shaking her head. "Have you no shame?"

"See Weiss?" Nora grinned. "You _do_ have a sense of humor. That's the best joke you've had yet."

Weiss frowned at her partner. "I was being seriou-"

"Hey, you actually look pretty good in black and white."

Weiss looked up and saw Jaune had finally gotten Yang into a top. The girl rolled her shoulders, testing the fit – though Weiss saw no reason why.

"What do you think, Weiss?" Jaune asked, peeking over his partner's shoulder.

"I think it looks... good?" The heiress suggested, before her eyes trailed down. "Though a pair of pants or a skirt is in order."

Jaune looked affronted. "But _of_ _course_. You think I would forget something like that?"

The heiress had to stop herself from growling. She would not rise to the bait – she resolved to not give her leader the pleasure. Or any of her teammates, for that matter.

A sharp knock sounded out, keeping Weiss from responding with a witty remark.

"I'll get it." The heiress volunteered, pushing herself off her bed. Yang still wasn't fully clothed, Nora was furthest from the door, and Jaune... well, there was no reason Jaune wouldn't have been able to answer the door, but Weiss was going to do it anyway.

"Is this skirt too short?"

"Not short _enough_."

Weiss shook her head at the pair's antics, reaching out to open the door. "What you consider an appropriate skirt length would be illegal to-"

Her comment was cut off as the door was forcibly pushed open, the heavy wood slamming against her head with enough force that Weiss couldn't remain upright, falling over.

 _Why am I looking at the ceiling_?

Weiss' eyes closed shut as she restrained herself from leaping to her feet and strangling whichever _dolt_ it was who'd just barged into their dorm.

"Jaune, Yang! Are you excited for... _oh_..."

Weiss opened her eyes. Ruby – _it had to be Ruby –_ was standing there, the one who'd pushed the door open.

At least Weiss didn't have to strangle her – the scene before the younger girl being permanently burned into her eyes was more than enough retribution.

Ruby brought her hands up to her face, flushed as red as her namesake. Not far in front of the girl were Yang and Jaune, the former standing there in the same state of dress as before, wearing only the top Jaune had picked out and her lacey underwear.

What made the scene, however, was Jaune looking absolutely dumbfounded with one of Yang's skirt in his hands.

"Uh... morning, Ruby?" Jaune greeted uncertainly.

Weiss snorted, pushing herself up to rest on her elbows. She looked up as another person entered the room: Pyrrha.

The redhead closed the door behind her with a soft click, blushed at the predicament Jaune and Yang were in, then turned and looked down at Weiss.

" _Ruby_ , _what did you do_ …?" The leader of PBRL muttered as she shook her head, extending a hand with a smile. Weiss took it, and the taller girl pulled her up.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologized. "She's... excited."

"I noticed."

Nora quickly made her way around Ruby and the two other members of JWYN, completely ignoring their conversation as she moved closer to Weiss.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Weiss dismissed quickly.

"Why didn't you just say that's what you're doing?!" Ruby's shrill voice made Weiss wince. "I'll help."

"You don't need to, sis." Yang suggested, the girl in black and red nearly diving headfirst into the closet. Jaune took the moment to pass the skirt he'd been holding to his partner.

"You dressed me up when I was little." The girl protested, digging through the clothes.

"That's... different?"

Jaune chuckled. "Eh, she can help."

"Umm..." Weiss turned to Pyrrha, the girl watching the three with her head tilted.

"We don't understand either." Weiss confessed, putting a hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Okay?"

"Ruby, that's Weiss'. Yang wouldn't be able to breathe. Besides, we already picked out the top."

The heiress felt her brow twitch.

Ruby held something out to Yang. "What about this?"

"Oh, I haven't seen this in _forever_!" The blonde quickly took the offered accessory from her sister, smiling as she held it up into the sunlight light for everyone to see.

It looked like an unassuming piece of jewelry: a pendant with a gem set in the middle, a similar shade to her eyes. Yang quickly put it on, turning to Jaune.

"What do you think?"

Jaune noticeably hesitated, though Weiss couldn't see his expression.

"It's very... you. It matches your eyes."

Yang's smile widened. "Thanks."

"It looks good!" Ruby confirmed, leaning against the foot of Weiss' bed. There was a thud, and the young girl turned around in surprise. Weiss saw the damage, and resisted the urge to sigh. Ruby had just knocked one of her Dust vials off the bed – lucky it hadn't shattered – but that was a pretty close call.

"Be careful." Yang cautioned as she slid her right leg into a stocking.

"Sorry!" Ruby called over to Weiss. This time the heiress did sigh.

"You're lucky it didn't-"

Ruby sneezed lightly.

Everyone stopped as finely-ground Dust was scattered into the air.

The fifteen-year-old opened her mouth and drew in a sharp, shaky breath...

"Ruby, _no_!" At least three voices called out.

Weiss covered her ears and closed her eyes.

" _Achoo_!"

The concussive force of the explosion was enough to make Weiss stumble, even as far away as she was. After a moment, the girl pulled her hands from her ears and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to try clearing the stars from her eyes.

She almost whimpered at the sheer destruction she saw.

 _That's it. I've had it_!

Weiss stomped forward, but she only made it three steps before a hand tightly grabbed her wrist. The heiress whirled around, meeting the hard eyes of her partner.

" _Later_." Nora practically ordered.

"What do you mean, ' _later_ '? I-"

"Ruby, are you okay?!"

Weiss turned back around, seeing Jaune and Yang move forward to check on Yang's younger sister. The blondes helped the girl sit up, having been absolutely leveled by the explosion.

Ruby coughed, covered in soot. "I'm fine..."

"Are you two okay?" Pyrrha asked, stepping towards Weiss and her partner.

"I'm not made of glass." Weiss snapped back.

Pyrrha ignored Weiss' harsh comment, though the heiress could see the flash of guilt in the girl's eyes. "Nora?"

"I'm A-okay!"

Weiss watched Jaune stand, the boy looking over towards her, Nora, and Pyrrha. After a moment, he sighed, likely in relief. The blond then surveyed the room itself, taking stock of the damage.

"Alright, let's... clean this up as best we can?"

Yang nodded and started guiding Ruby towards their bathroom. "C'mon, sis, let's get you cleaned up too."

* * *

Yang groaned pleasantly, stretching her arms high above her head. It felt like if she put her hands high enough, she'd be able to reach the lower branches of the trees, and the red leaves hanging there would brush against her fingertips.

"You know, it really is beautiful." Weiss noted.

"Why thank you." Yang replied jokingly, smiling in satisfaction when she heard the girl sigh heavily. Though with the way Nora shook her head disapprovingly when she looked over, Yang felt a little guilty.

She'd almost forgotten the girl had already been in a bad mood thanks to what happened earlier in the morning. Maybe she was being a little _too_ carefree, but Yang couldn't be happier.

Jaune had just happened to pick out the perfect outfit for the day. For someone who had no fashion sense to speak of, he'd done an amazing job.

Or maybe he just didn't have a _male_ fashion sense. He did have seven sisters, after all.

She looked down, fingering the necklace she'd nearly forgotten she'd brought with her to Beacon. Once she'd put it on with the rest of the outfit Jaune had picked out, the look on Jaune's face had convinced her she hadn't needed to try anything else on, even before he voiced his approval.

' _It's very... you_. _It matches your eyes._ '

Then there was the day before... Yang blushed at the memory of Jaune leaning in to kiss her... and her immediate, instinctive reaction had left both of them panting.

Shaking the thought off before she got a little tooheated, Yang scanned their surroundings.

She had to agree with Weiss: Forever Fall was beautiful.

"It's terrifying out here in winter." Jaune noted, sitting on an empty box that some of the other first years had used to carry jars. Goodwitch had asked their team to stay behind while the other first years had all left to gather sap.

"You've been here before?" Nora quizzed, turning to their leader.

Jaune nodded. "My dad took me here for training after I had my Aura unlocked. The shadows make Grimm damn near invisible at night."

Yang put her hands behind her head. "Well, there's enough of us out here we shouldn't have to worry about that."

That was the truth – Beacon had more first years than they'd originally planned for, and each of them were capable of handling a few Grimm. That they were _all_ here, in the forest, meant there were probably going to be a lot less Grimm to worry about than usual.

Jaune nodded his agreement. "It depends on what Goodwitch wants us to do."

Nora pouted. "But that's boring…"

Yang chuckled and looked over to their mentor, the professor answering questions from the handful of first years who hadn't taken off to collect their sap almost immediately. She watched the woman nod, confirming something one of the students said, before they all took off in the same direction, chatting amongst themselves.

Even if they weren't on teams, they all still managed to make friends with each other.

"Team JWYN."

Jaune stood, making his way towards the professor, Yang and the others following in tow.

"What's this about needing a window and two bed sets replaced?"

Yang snorted in laughter, drawing the attention of their mentor, and looks of disbelief from her teammates.

"Oh come on you guys, it's kinda funny, when you think about it."

"Well..." Jaune scratched his head. "There was an accident involving some Dust in our dorm. That's just what we weren't able to fix ourselves."

The blonde professor hummed, adjusting her glasses. "Understood. Requests like this aren't all that unusual."

Yang blinked. _Not unusual_? _Really_?

"Now, on to the reason I had the four of you stay behind. With the abundance of first years attending Beacon this year, Professor Peach will have more than enough samples of sap. I've decided to use this time a little more constructively and work on another aspect of your training."

The members of JWYN nodded, waiting quietly for their instructions.

"The four of you will split into pairs, track, and tail Teams PBRL and CRDL. Your objective... is to defend the two teams without them knowing it."

 _What_?

Weiss raised her hand, and Goodwitch nodded in response.

"Pardon my choice of words, but how the _hell_ are we supposed to do that?"

JWYN's mentor smiled. "That's for you to figure out. I'm putting the four of you in an unfamiliar situation, and asking you to do something you've never done before. If either team notices you, consider it a failure."

Yang winced. It wasn't hard to admit that neither she nor Nora had any affinity for anything to do with skulking about. Neither did Weiss, actually. Or even _Jaune_ for that matter.

Talk about being out of their element.

"So, if you don't mind me asking..." Yang started, "Why do we have to defend them?"

"For some as yet unknown reason, the sap everyone is collecting right now attracts the creatures of Grimm."

"Wait, then what about the other first years?" Jaune asked. "Aren't they in danger too?"

"I'll be watching over them." Goodwitch stared the four of them down. "That said, there's still enough jars for your team, if you don't think you're up for it."

Yang half-glared at her leader. There was no way they were taking the easy way out of something like this.

"No, we'll do it." Jaune confirmed. "We just have to keep an eye on them and take out any Grimm that come near, right?"

"Correct."

The boy turned, meeting Yang's eyes. "Did you see which direction Ruby and her team went?"

"Yep." Yang pointed her thumb towards a small break in the trees behind them.

"CRDL shouldn't be hard to find." Weiss noted with her arms crossed irately. "We can just ask the other first years."

Goodwitch cleared her throat. "You could, but if you do and Team CRDL learns you'd been looking for them, you fail."

Weiss grimaced. " _Oh_..."

"I'll go with Weiss." Nora volunteered immediately.

"That settles that, then." Jaune acknowledged, turning back to Professor Goodwitch. "How long do we need to do this for?"

Goodwitch didn't respond immediately. "Until the team you're guarding brings their sap back here."

"Okay..." Jaune pulled Horizon from its holster, switching it into its expanded form. "Team JWYN, move out!"

Team JWYN didn't move at all. Instead, the three female members stared at their leader.

Jaune rested his weapon against his shoulder. "What?"

"That was so lame." Nora noted dryly.

Weiss sighed as she turned away. "Never do that again."

The blond looked offended. "What did you want me to say? ' _Go_ '?"

"That would have been preferred, yes." The heiress added, not even facing the blond as she walked away, Nora following right after her.

Yang stepped forward with the fakest smile she could as she put a hand on Jaune's shoulder, speaking with a voice laced with sarcasm. "Oh, don't you worry. I'm sure the rest of Team ' _J-win_ ' will come around eventually. For now, though, I believe you are doing an ' _admirable_ ' job, and should continue to, how they say, ' _try harder_ '."

Jaune's shoulders slumped, and Yang laughed at the boy's false pout, patting him hard on the back. "Come on, my ' _fearless leader_ ', let's go find my sister and her team."

Yang walked ahead, humming with her hands clasped behind her back, reaching the end of the clearing and waiting for Jaune. When the boy was just a few steps away, she started moving again, matching pace with her partner as they walked side by side.

"Have you ever seen the ruins here?" Yang asked after a minute or so of silence, wanting to at least converse as they walked. Even if it was just small talk.

She was with him, and that was all that mattered to her.

"No, the ruins are closer to the coast apparently. My dad and I didn't venture out that far when we were training."

"Hmm... I'd like to see them one day, but we probably don't have time today."

"Probably not, no. That would be quite a walk."

"Some other day then?" Yang suggested.

"Sure."

The girl smiled, walking beside her partner, and her... _and her_...

"Jaune...?"

"Yes?"

A cold fear gripped her heart, one that was only vaguely familiar. "We're... together, right?"

Fortunately, he seemed to immediately get what she was referring to.

"I've... been wondering the same thing." Jaune admitted. "We didn't really have much time to talk about it yesterday, what with rushing to class and training with Weiss and Nora... I think we're together? Uh... if you want to be, that is."

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend together? _Together-together_?" Yang offered.

"Yeah? We did just sort of…" The boy blushed viciously, "make out on top of a fallen log in the Emerald Forest yesterday."

Yang's face heated at the thought as she felt her heartbeat speed up. The girl chuckled lightly. "Yeah, we did do that."

"It was... good."

"It was."

The two took a few more steps before Yang was struck by impulse and reached over, grabbed Jaune by the collar, and pulled him towards her.

He just let her do it, too, as she pressed her lips against his, leaning into him. He accepted her kiss, putting his free hand around the back of her head.

They remained like that for a few seconds, neither one wanting to separate, until Jaune needed to breathe and broke off the kiss.

"I want to never forget what that feels like." Yang confessed, breathing heavily as she released his collar and Jaune removed his hand from the back of her head.

"Me neither."

Yang stared into Jaune's eyes. She wanted another kiss, craved it even. It was such an incredible rush, but she knew if they started now... they wouldn't stop for a while. Jaune likely knew it too.

It's what happened the first time, after all.

"Weiss still doesn't know we were late for class yesterday, does she?"

"She doesn't." Jaune chuckled nervously. "I was thinking of telling her this morning, but..."

"Ruby?"

"Ruby." Her boyfriend confirmed.

"Well..." Yang grabbed Jaune's hand, threading her fingers between his as they began to walk deeper into the woods. "We'll tell her eventually. Maybe Nora will be able to calm her down a little."

* * *

Nora winced at the sound of shattering ice. Weiss was doing what Goodwitch had told them to, but even Nora figured she could have been a little...

Quieter? More subtle? Less angry? A lot less angry?

She shook her head with a sigh as she kept her eyes on the members of CRDL. It was a wonder, a _genuine miracle_ the all-male team hadn't noticed their presence yet. They were supposed to be being _sneaky_!

A Beowolf's howl was cut off before it could even begin, Nora hearing Weiss' rapier pierce its hide even from where she stood, leaned against a tree not far from the clearing CRDL had made their own.

Then there was a whine from another.

And another.

Nora knew the girl was annoyed, but she was certain that right now – even using Magnhild in all its destructive glory – she would have been quieter than Weiss. Or maybe it was just where she was so close to the action, given how oblivious CRDL seemed to it all.

Earlier, however, Nora had come to a decision: She wasn't going to confront Weiss. That would only serve to aggravate her partner more. Nora wasn't going to say anything unless she really had to.

Even Ren got angry on occasion, and Nora had quickly learned that during those times, patience was the most important thing. Weiss wasn't Ren, but it had to work the same for her, right?

So Nora was content to wait until Weiss had finished venting, until she'd calmed down a little, and then they would talk.

There was a light rustling from a nearby bush, and Nora took her eyes off CRDL, turning to face her partner.

"We should be okay for a while." Weiss whispered. "With what Miss Goodwitch said, I figured there'd have been more Grimm around."

Nora hummed her agreement. "We'll probably have to defend them for a while. I don't think they're in a hurry." She whispered back.

"They... don't look very alert, do they."

CRDL already had their sap: Nora could see the jars full of the purple substance, all gathered close to the center of the clearing.

The members of CRDL themselves, well... Cardin, the leader, was _sleeping –_ Nora had even heard him snore once or twice. Russel was tapping away at his scroll, though even he looked tired, blinking often with bags beneath his eyes. Sky and Dove were talking with each other as they kept a lookout, though Nora had no idea which one was _which_.

She didn't know much about the team. She rarely ever saw them, actually. According to Ren it was the same for him and his team: CRDL, for the most part, were always doing something for or going somewhere with Professor Port. They didn't have time to stop and chat anymore, nor did they really seem like they would.

Which was interesting, considering how they had been acting before Initiation: loud, obnoxious... they'd been even outright _rude_ to some people.

What had changed?

Weiss sighed heavily, reminding Nora she had something more important to worry about.

The girl looked at her partner out of the corner of her eye, realizing she _had_ to say something now.

"How are you feeling?" Nora offered.

"Fine."

 _Liar_. Nora looked back over to CRDL, the four boys _still_ not doing much of anything. The girl took a breath, turned, and sat against the tree she'd been leaning on prior. "You want to talk about this morning?"

"What?"

Nora crossed her arms and stared at her partner's defiant face from where she sat. "This morning."

"Fine." The heiress sighed after a few seconds, leaning against a tree across from Nora. "Where do I start? I... I was _frustrated_ with Ruby earlier."

The redhead blinked in surprise. She'd wanted to talk about Jaune and Yang, but... If Weiss was willing to open up, she wasn't going to complain.

"I mean, the way she just barged into our dorm, and whatnot. She _is_ Yang's sister, but still... she shouldn't have just shoved her way in like that. She didn't even notice she bowled me over, either – she didn't even _apologize_. But at this point I know that's what she's like, and I know Pyrrha talked to her afterwards... So I'm well past that."

"Then..." Nora tented her fingers. "What are you so frustrated about?"

"I shouldn't have been bowled over in the first place!"

Nora tilted her head, more than a little confused. "Didn't you just say you were past that?"

"That's not quite what I meant." Weiss explained with a wince. "It was... _embarrassing_. I was completely caught off guard, knocked off balance, and fell. Because of a door! Everyone saw it too – Yang, Jaune, you, even Pyrrha! What's worse is it was a girl two years younger than me that did it."

 _That_ was why she'd been angry?

No, that wasn't quite right.

' _I'm fine_.'

' _I'm not made of glass_.'

"Weiss..." Nora started. "Are you angry because we were worried about you?"

The heiress blinked back in response, her cheeks a faint shade more red. "Kind of? I mean, I was more frustrated it happened at all, but…" Weiss trailed off, hesitated, then looked Nora in the eye, "it made me feel like a little girl again. A weak and powerless little girl..."

Nora nodded in understanding. That explained a lot, given what she knew about Weiss already, but there was still something missing.

"What about the explosion?"

Weiss sighed. "That... wasn't entirely Ruby's fault. I should have put my Dust away."

Nora nodded in agreement. "You should probably start keeping it in more secure containers than glass vials with corks in the top."

She didn't sugarcoat it.

The other girl opened her mouth, looking as if she was about to protest, but decided against it.

"… You're probably right."

Actually, now that Nora really thought about it: "Why _don't_ you use metal canisters?"

"It's a Schnee thing."

"Oh."

Weiss looked down at the ground. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm more angry at myself for what happened this morning than I am at Ruby."

The conversation came to a dead halt after that. Realizing Weiss wasn't going to say anything more, Nora looked over to CRDL, seeing that even after her conversation with Weiss, nothing had changed – aside from Russel passing out completely.

"Actually, I have a question for you..."

Nora turned. "Yes?"

"Did you notice..." Weiss seemed hesitant. "Anything wrong with Jaune and Yang this morning?"

"Yeah... they _were_ acting a little strange. Maybe they got a good night's rest for once? Or maybe they finally confessed their undying love for one another? Or maybe Jaune's finally working on that suit of armor with the _jetpack_!"

That thing looked badass.

"Perhaps they just got some good news from home?" Weiss suggested dryly.

"Yeah..." Nora looked to her feet. Her ideas _had_ been pretty out there. "That's probably it."

…

"Are those two asleep?!"

"Yep..." Nora pushed herself off from the tree, reaching for Magnhild and making sure the safety was still on. "I'll go do a round."

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Have you already filled your jar?"

"Hmm?" The boy looked up from where he sat, squinting as the sun shone a bright ring around his leader's head. Pyrrha's question was simple, but also pointless as he tapped the sap filled container at his side. "Yes, it's right here."

"Ah, good. I heard from Nora you have a habit of misplacing things."

Ren frowned. _He_ had a habit of misplacing things?

...Actually, now that he thought about it, maybe he did? Back at Siren, he'd always had to ask to borrow Nora's writing utensils... more than once she had to share her textbooks with him as well, his own nowhere to be found. Even when he paid extra attention to where he left his things, they always wound up missing.

It was never as if anything was ever permanently lost though – he'd always find it later, in the strangest of places. Either that, or Nora found them, returning them to him the first chance she had.

It hadn't been happening nearly as often now that they were at Beacon... maybe it was a sign of him improving?

 _No, it's still too risky_.

He took the jar from where it rested at his side, offering it up to Pyrrha. "Maybe you should hold on to this, then."

The Mistrali champion grabbed the jar, staring at it as Ren left it in her care. "Thank you?"

Ren just nodded with a reassuring smile. "That way I don't lose it."

Pyrrha stared at the jar a moment longer. "You really _do_ have a habit of misplacing things?"

"I wouldn't call it a habit," Ren explained, "but it has happened before, on occasion."

More than one occasion.

"I see. I'll... look after this then."

"Please do."

Pyrrha walked over to Ruby, the diminutive girl still having trouble collecting the sap. Ren's red-cloaked teammate had politely demanded she be allowed to do it herself, not accepting help from anyone.

Of course, it was just like the girl to somehow find and tap over ten trees in a row that hadn't forfeited anything more than what was barely a spoonful of sap each. Ren swore the girl was the manifestation of the saying ' _If it wasn't for bad luck, there would be no luck at all_ ' – that being doubly reinforced by what Pyrrha had told Ren and Blake earlier.

Ren had heard the explosion from their dorm and hadn't had a single doubt Ruby had been involved in some way, shape, or form.

"I didn't think you were the type to lose things."

Ren turned his head slightly and nodded, acknowledging the girl who'd been leaning against a tree behind him, reading.

"I'm not." _Not really_.

"So you just passed off the responsibility?" Blake challenged.

Ren raised an eyebrow in return. "That's not how I'd put it."

"What other way is there?"

"I'm trusting her with the responsibility, as our leader."

Blake snorted in amusement, Ren practically able to hear the grin she must have sported.

That was how Ren's conversations with his partner would always go – A comment here, a question there, then a short response before back to the silence that seemed to be their default state. They were always short, but through each exchange, Ren learned more and more.

They'd both probably learned more about each other through what _hadn't_ been said than what _had_ been. Despite that, however, Blake was still a stranger to him. He knew her, but at the same time he didn't.

Ren sighed. He didn't expect to know her more than he knew Nora, for instance – he doubted he'd ever know anyone as well as he knew his lifelong friend. But he knew Pyrrha, their leader, was a four-time Mistral Regional Champion. He knew Ruby was Yang's sister, and two years younger than anyone else at Beacon.

He knew nothing about his partner's life.

The boy's gaze settled on Pyrrha and Ruby. The latter was extremely focused, using the small tools provided to them to carefully wedge the spout into the wood, while the former watched on in hopeful anticipation.

"What do you think of our teammates thus far?"

…

"I like them."

To Blake's credit, it only took her five seconds to respond.

"But really?" Ren prodded.

"Well..." Blake hesitated. "Pyrrha's nice. Ruby too."

"And...?"

"What about you? What do you think of our team?"

"I think..." Ren considered what he was about to say, before he realized that his answer would have been just as vague as Blake's was.

The boy shook his head. If he wanted a straight answer out of Blake, he had to commit to one himself.

"Pyrrha's... trying to get everything right. She's hard on herself, probably more than anyone else is, and always acting like her best is never enough. I think being named leader of our team has made that worse, in a way."

Blake stepped forward to stand next to him where he sat, reading forgotten for once as she gave him her full attention.

The boy continued speaking, not taking his eyes off the other two. "I can tell she's always a little stressed, and Ruby is both helping and hindering that."

"How so?"

A hint of a smile pulled at the edges of Ren's lips. "Ruby's very excitable, adventurous and, I'll admit, a little _too_ happy and carefree at times, like this morning. But think about it: If it was just me, you, and Pyrrha on a team, would it have worked out as well as it has?"

"... I can't see it, no." Blake answered after a moment.

"That's what I mean." Ren noted. "She might not be the leader, but she's the heart and soul of this team. In a way, she's a little sister to all of us, not just Yang. Especially to Pyrrha."

"Hmm..."

Ren sat in silence, Blake standing on his right.

"What about me?"

Ren looked up to the girl, meeting her amber eyes. The question was a serious one. Why the girl had asked it, he supposed only she knew. Simple curiosity, maybe? And after what he'd said about Pyrrha and Ruby, it was clear he _had_ been thinking about it at some point. Maybe she was wondering if he would be able to say more than "you like to read."

"You're... a mystery." Ren confessed. "You keep to yourself for the most part, but you obviously don't hate people as a rule. You happily participate in team exercises, and clearly enjoy spending time with us, but you also don't go out of your way to spend time with us either. That's fine for the most part, but... the longer you keep to yourself... the more people are going to think it's strange and wonder why."

Her eyes narrowed. "That sounds like you're talking from experience."

"I am."

Blake didn't respond to that, instead looking over at PBRL's other half – Pyrrha clapping excitedly as sap finally flowed freely to fill Ruby's jar.

"I..." Blake started. "I like our team."

Ren looked up at Blake, seeing an honest smile on her face, but it was gone in a flash as she turned away, looking out into the woods with narrowed eyes.

"Did you hear that?"

* * *

"That was way too close."

Jaune nodded his agreement, panting from the effort he just put into that last second dash. How Blake had heard them, he wasn't sure.

...Wait, she was a Faunus. Didn't they have enhanced hearing? He'd heard rumors of something like that, but he'd never bothered to actually look it up himself. It wasn't like Jaune was going to go up and ask Blake – the girl didn't even know _he_ knew she was a faunus in the first place, and that would lead to a lot of awkward questions and even more awkward avoiding of said questions.

"Hold on..." Yang started with a frown. "Don't we have to protect them on the way back too?"

 _Was that what Goodwitch had said_?

He looked back in the direction of PBRL.

"You don't think they need protecting?"

Yang looked at him dumbly. "Let's see, not only do they have Ruby – who should be more than enough on her own – they also have a four-time Mistral Regional Champion and what's basically a pair of ninjas."

Jaune held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, _alright_. Maybe you have a point."

The girl nodded back the way they came, in the direction of the clearing where they were all to gather. "Maybe?"

"You know what?" Jaune began moving, Yang falling in step beside him. "I'm pretty sure Miss Goodwitch actually gave us this assignment to cut loose a little – relaxa bit."

"Okay, that's even crazier than PBRL needing protection."

"...Is it really though?" Jaune challenged. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "You said it earlier, there's enough of us out here that we shouldn't have had any problems with the Grimm – which we really _didn't_. With protecting the other first years, Goodwitch wasn't going to be able to actually monitor us, so whether we failed or not didn't really matter..."

Yang hummed. "You know what? Maybe you're right for once."

The boy looked at her in playful annoyance. "What do you mean 'for once?'"

* * *

"I shouldn't need to remind you, Councilman Napier: The military has already been given jurisdiction over the matter."

"You don't. What I'm concerned with is you unilaterally assuming responsibility without consulting the rest of the council first."

James Ironwood kept a straight face at the Councilman's words, despite how nonsensical they were. Being in a video call had its perks, but also its flaws. "The council already passed a sealed resolution agreeing Amity was to be placed under my care until the next Festival. We've had no issues with either security or maintenance since that time."

"I wasn't on the council when that resolution was passed, and I've serious questions about why it was even passed in the first place."

"Do you not trust the decisions of the previous Council? Or Councilman Hart?"

The grumble the General got in return was enough to know that he had won that battle, not that he needed it. Napier's predecessor might have retired years ago, but his name and wealth still opened doors. Doors Napier couldn't afford to close if he didn't want to find himself retiring from public life early and in disgrace.

"I still believe it would be more intelligent to send the allotted ships _with_ Amity, rather than such a large force beforehand."

"We'll compromise then." Ironwood offered, though he had no intention of compromising. "Instead of taking the First Fleet to secure the route, I will go ahead of time with a small contingent to verify security on Vale's end. Then we'll move Amity with a similarly small escort to Vale's border and pass it off to their jurisdiction and protection."

Councilman Napier hummed, and James could clearly see him considering the offer.

Of course, the handful of ships he'd be taking with him and Amity Colosseum's escort together would make up the entirety of the Third Fleet.

"That's acceptable, General, but if you're at Beacon who will remain here to command the rest of the fleet?"

"Specialist Schnee."

The counselor did not protest. He was learning. "Understood."

"Is that all, Councilman?"

"Yes, that will be all General."

"Then I bid you a good evening."

The career politician nodded, ending the call.

James let out a lengthy sigh, leaning back in his chair. _That_ had not been how he'd wanted to end his day.

Amity Colosseum was his responsibility – and not for the first time either. To have to argue with a politician over its security was like an untrained recruit arguing with an experienced soldier about how to shoot straight.

He looked down at his desk, the blue light that had to have been blinking since the beginning of the Councilman's call still doing so, and the General had to resist the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and ignore it. Maybe after a drink...

No, that was probably a bad idea. The night was still young.

James depressed the button. "Yes?"

" _Sorry to disturb you, General, but Penny Polendina is here to see you_."

He blinked. "You told her I wasn't to be disturbed, I presume?"

" _I did_ , _but she just said_ _she'd wait and hasn't moved for the past fifteen minutes. Literally._ "

"... Send her in."

The door to the headmaster's office slid open, and in strode P.E.N.N.Y.

The girl saluted, a cheery smile on her face. "Good evening, General."

James couldn't stop himself from smiling back. "Good evening Penny. You wanted to see me?"

"Yes sir. In three hours and forty four minutes, it'll have been exactly forty days since I've become a student at Atlas Academy."

James nodded, checking the calendar on his desk. It had already been over a month since the beginning of the first semester. He looked back up at the girl, only just then realizing she'd been standing at attention since she stopped before his desk, and chuckled. "At ease, Penny. You're a student, not a soldier."

The girl looked surprised for a moment, before dropping the salute and loosening her stance. "I figured it would be a good time to give you the report on my experiences so far, and how I'm fitting in with my team."

"Of course. There have been no outstanding issues?"

"None, sir. I was concerned at first, but Ciel and the others are accepting of me, despite not knowing of my... nature."

Ciel Soleil, Penny's partner. Ironwood had been watching the formation of teams, and Penny couldn't have been put with anyone better, from what he'd seen.

"There was a... slight error when I nearly mentioned I didn't need to eat, but I managed to catch that before it was translated into words."

The General frowned. It was minor, and it hadn't caused any problems, but... "Did you tell Doctor Polendina about it?"

"Yes, I told Father right away."

"Understood."

It was clear Penny's personality programming still had a few issues, but Atlas' top scientist, a man he'd known and worked with for years, had trusted his prized prototype to him. He saw it as no different from being entrusted with an old friend's daughter. Having her refine her social skills in a school environment was a calculated gamble, but the man had cautioned Ironwood that he might have to pull her out at any moment.

"Penny," he started, an idea coming to mind. "You're aware the Vytal Festival is occurring in Vale this year, correct?"

"Certainly! In eighty nine days, twelve hours, and forty two minutes, all participating teams from Atlas are expected to be prepared for the flight to Vale to participate in Beacon's host semester."

The General hoped it was just himself and Doctor Polendina she was that specific with.

"How would you like to visit Vale before then?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful!"

* * *

 **That was fun, wasn't it? Close call there for Jaune and Yang, but I'd always wondered if Blake having enhanced hearing was canon or fanon. I mean, we see her ears twitch, but it's never explicitly stated, is it?**

 **Now, the Discord server: I figured it would be nice to have a place for people to talk about my story, if they so desired. Being new to Discord, I figured it might actually be perfect for something like this, so I set up a server a couple weeks ago.**

 **If anyone wants to join, shoot me a PM and ask for an invite.**

 **See you soon!**


	31. Quid Pro Quo

**Hey guys, another chapter in time for the holidays!**

 **It's amazing, that on the 16th, it'll have been a year to the day since I've started writing Technician. It's been a wild ride so far, and it'll only continue to improve. Thank you everyone for all your interest and support!**

 **Work on this chapter actually started at some point in the middle of November, before I realized I had other things I needed to take care of. That resulted in the scrapping of a couple scenes that were already done - which are much better now anyways.**

 **Enjoy the chapter everyone!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Bunny_!"

* * *

It was a rather quiet afternoon at Haven Academy. Lessons were done for the day, and students were either on their way outside to enjoy the abundance of sunshine or headed back to their dorms to unwind, doing whatever they pleased until bed. Far from truly exciting, despite what Reese would have preferred.

Not that she could do anything about her current predicament.

"Why can't we just study outside?"

That wouldn't stop her from trying, though.

ABRN's leader scoffed, glaring out of the corner of her eye. Reese knew she'd kinda-sorta been getting on the girl's nerves, but she couldn't help it: Being cooped up in their dorm or the library was quite likely the dullest thing she could imagine. At least outside, she'd be able to watch the birds, or other students, or, well, anything.

She didn't even need to study herself – it was Bolin and Nadir who had just barely managed a passing grade on their last quiz. Of course, Arslan had insisted they do it as a team. Reese didn't mind that - she just didn't like having to go over material she memorized the first time it had been taught.

"Because these two idiots," Arslan started, gesturing at the two guys immediately behind them, "will just talk about girls the entire time."

"They'll do that anyways." Reese protested. "If we go outside, I swear I'll stop complaining about the music ya' listen to."

That gave the dark skinned girl pause. "Really?"

Reese considered her next words very carefully, before sighing. "Yeah, sorry, no. I just wanted to see what you'd say."

"Pity." The blonde noted, not changing her course. "That would have been an easy way to change my mind, you know."

"I do know, but the day I admit ya' have good taste in music is the day... the day... um..."

"The day Bolin and Nadir confess their undying love for each other?" Arslan offered, leaning in close so that the boys didn't hear.

"Exactly!" Reese agreed, before she turned back to the duo behind her, frowning. "I hate you both so much sometimes."

Nadir grinned back. "What about the rest of the time?"

"Absolute loathing."

The boy pouted at the shut down, his partner chuckling uneasily. "Well, at least this way we all suffer?"

"I'd have preferred it if it was just the two of ya'." Reese responded coldly, before sighing defeatedly. "It would have been such a nice day to head out to the cliffs."

"Where's your team spirit?" Arslan reached out to pat her shoulder, laughing boisterously. "Maybe this weekend, though."

"Ya' said that last weekend too..." Reese trailed off, sulking as the team entered the library.

As the four approached the table where they usually sat, Reese noted a few of the seats were occupied by familiar faces.

"Well, if it isn't SSSN." Arlsan called out as they got closer, the girl putting her fists to her hips. "Surprised to see you all here in the library."

The blue haired Neptune looked up at the mention of their team name, the other two next to him following not a moment later. "Hey."

Reese looked at the faces of the ones sitting at the table. She herself didn't spend much time around SSSN, but she at least knew them; everyone at Haven did. Their showing in the last Vytal Festival Tournament had practically made them Haven's poster team. It certainly didn't hurt that they were all easy on the eyes, either.

Sitting not too far from the three members of SSSN was Mercury Black, the sole male member of team CMSN. Idly, Reese wondered if he'd spent so much time with SSSN because the three girls on his own team excluded him. She didn't get along with Nadir or Bolin all that well at first, after all.

Thinking about it, she'd have preferred to be put with Cinder and Mint over Nadir and Bolin. The two girls seemed far more tame, and it would have given them an all girls team.

Reese hummed to herself as idle curiosity struck. What would their team name have been if they had been?

ABRN sat in what open seats there were. Reese made sure to sit close to Mercury – she had something she needed to ask him about again. The boy was actually quite knowledgeable about machinery too, helping her troubleshoot a problem with her board just a few days ago.

"It's really weird to see you guys without Sun." Nadir commented, groaning when a textbook was slid in front of him.

"You aren't going to ask where he is?" Scarlet asked in surprise.

The members of ABRN all shared a glance. "Should we?" Arslan started cautiously, sliding the same book over to Bolin.

"You don't have to ask." Scarlet continued. "He's all the way in Vale."

Reese blinked rapidly, trying to piece together a reason, but not finding one.

" _Vale_? And the teachers didn't stop him?"

"They tried two years ago, when he left for Atlas early." Sage noted, the tall boy sitting with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "We were almost held back from the tournament."

"But...?" Reese prodded.

"We were the best first years Haven had. We even made it to the singles rounds..." Sage trailed off.

"Where Sun got his ass kicked by Winter Schnee." Neptune finished. "Bad."

"Still wish it was you in that ring, Neptune?" Scarlet teased.

"I have a thing for bossy girls with white hair, I can't lie about that."

Reese scoffed, sharing a look with Arslan. They both knew where this conversation would go, as well as how interested both Bolin and Nadir were, though their textbooks were at least open.

The girl turned to Mercury, knowing that her leader alone was more than enough to take the two boys to task. "Hi Mercury."

"Hey." He responded, turning to face her. The boy didn't seem to talk much. Hell, Reese really wondered why he hung around the boisterous SSSN – or why they were totally okay with him hanging around. Some kind of camaraderie only a boy would understand, she supposed.

She liked him though. Emerald, Mercury's partner, had been spot on when she'd told Reese that he'd been knowledgeable about Dust... in that the boy at least knew more than Reese had about how it interacts with machinery.

Mercury's knowledge of mechanics and the workings of electronics was on par with her own: He, like herself, was apparently a tinkerer, his neat pair of boots evidence enough of that – though Reese's hoverboard was a far more complicated piece of machinery, if she did say so herself.

"Did you ever find out why your pistols had jammed?" Mercury asked, Reese surprised the boy was the one sparking their conversation.

"Yep." Reese affirmed. "The reaction had too much energy and the crystal channels bottlenecked. It's a rare occurrence, but I've put a limiter on the output so it won't happen again."

"I'd been wondering about that." Mercury stated, leaning back in his chair. "If Dust wasn't so inconsistent, I'd probably use it more myself."

"Inconsistent?" Reese wondered.

"If my boots don't do their job, it's because I haven't been taking care of them. Dust is really just playing with probability. You can't truly 'work on' something like Dust like you can your body or your weapons – you've got to make sure your weapons are in top shape." The boy took a breath. "The nice thing about weapons... you take care of them, and they'll never betray you like your body might."

Reese just sat there, staring at the pensive looking boy. His eyes snapped up, and Reese looked away as if she'd been caught staring too long.

"Sorry." He apologized, "I was just remembering something."

"Oh, no, it's fine." Reese dismissed, then got to what she wanted to talk to him about. "So I think I finally figured out what to do about the Burn Dust causing my board to overheat."

"Did you?"

* * *

"See you later, Mercury!"

The boy held a hand up and waved in farewell, not turning to face the Haven students he'd left behind. As he turned the corner on the way out of the library, he reflected on what he'd learned from hanging around the third year Team SSSN nearly all day – which, while interesting, wasn't anything substantial.

Their leader, Sun Wukong, had left for Vale early. Why, Mercury had yet to figure out in its entirety, but the other members of his team implied that it was 'just because.' While that on its own wasn't really troublesome or useful, it was something to note. That Sun had fought Winter Schnee – who was now in the Atlas military – nearly two years prior in the last Vytal Tournament was also something Mercury hadn't known, but still wasn't all that useful.

It was also something that would have been easy enough to find out just by doing a little digging. He supposed any information he gathered was still information: maybe he could use what he learned today in the future, or maybe not.

The boy shook his head, sticking his hands in his pockets. He heard footsteps behind him, stopped, and turned, seeing a familiar face skipping towards him.

His scroll buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out, reading the message.

' _You're quite the actor, aren't you_?'

"It's in the job description." Mercury responded, turning and continuing to walk down the empty hall as Neo – posing as one Mint Nutt – fell in stride.

As Mercury had learned the day of their... introduction, the diminutive girl was a mute, or at least posed as one. Aside from the slightly unsettling fact that her permanent silence revealed very little about her or who she was, Mercury found himself on even terms with her: She was – obviously – quiet, which was something Mercury could appreciate, and thus, Mercury didn't bother her with anything unless he really had to. Not that he ever did.

Mint made appearances here and there, either offering herself up as an excuse for Mercury to ditch SSSN, or just to make herself known so no one would ask questions about what she'd been up to. Out of all of Team CMSN, she was the only one aside from Mercury himself who really understood how to properly work undercover.

Cinder was absolutely awful at working undercover. She mostly kept to the dorm, only attending class and doing nothing else aside from focusing on her objective.

He'd never say that out loud though, nor would he suggest she do otherwise. She made it very clear who was in charge. In fact, it was unfortunate that she was picked as leader of CMSN. If he'd been put forward as leader, that could have easily been played off, but a leader who didn't show themselves often was just asking for attention.

Emerald, on the other hand, was half-decent, but she still slipped up on occasion – though Mercury could admit it was partially his fault for wanting to have a little fun in getting her into a mask.

The girl had been acting too cold around others, so Mercury had dropped a tidbit here or there to force her to interact with the other students, like he had been. It just so happened one rumor he started ended up growing a little out of proportion, and she had to struggle to adapt.

In response, the girl had pointed Reese Chloris in his direction – only getting irate when he handled that like anything else that had been thrown at him in Haven: effectively and efficiently.

Mercury's scroll went off again. ' _Even knowing better, it looked like you and that girl are friends_.'

"And you're impressed by that?"

The girl shrugged noncommittally, though the cheeky smile on her face didn't change.

"She's easy to get along with." Mercury noted. "Doesn't ask questions that are too personal. Or stupid."

' _Does someone have a crush_?' Was the next message Mercury received, complete with a smiley face and a heart.

"No." He stated plainly.

' _If it comes down to it later, I'll take her out for you_?'

Mercury didn't hesitate in his answer. "I'd rather do it myself."

* * *

Ruby yawned, gently closing her mother's journal before sliding the precious book into the drawer of her nightstand. The girl rubbed at her eyes, stretching in the morning light. That entire section on ballistics had been quite difficult to read the first time she'd gone through, but every time she'd went back to it, she'd remembered more and more.

She didn't think she'd ever have been able to memorize the math behind it if it was in any other book. In any other writing.

 _Mom_...

A bed over, covers stirred as Pyrrha groaned beneath them. A hand darted out to the side, fumbling around the same nightstand before it grabbed the scroll resting there. The arm retracted, and the scroll was pulled beneath her partner's blanket, Ruby able to see the light shining through. Pyrrha's silhouette was cast against the fabric, and she groaned once more.

Pyrrha really wasn't a morning person.

The hand snaked back out, clumsily putting the scroll back on the nightstand. Pyrrha threw her covers off, and Ruby brought a hand to her mouth, holding in a giggle.

PBRL's leader sat up, scanning the room. With her hair looking like a bird's nest woven from red straw, and a thin line of wet skin across her cheek – evidence that she'd been drooling – Pyrrha turned, her half-lidded eyes meeting Ruby's.

"Good morning." Ruby called over, already in uniform and ready for the day.

Pyrrha blinked the sleep from her eyes, yawning. "Morning..."

The redhead stood, looking to the dorm's two already vacated beds before she shuffled over to the washroom. Ruby leaned forwards slightly, watching as her partner closed the door behind her.

Ruby hopped out of her own bed, smoothing out the creases in her skirt as she walked over to the closet. She swung the door open, humming as she looked at the uniforms hanging there. The girl grabbed one that looked to be Pyrrha's, and some underwear she'd seen the girl wearing before, taking them over to the Pyrrha's bed and laying them across the disturbed sheets.

 _There._

The young girl walked back over to her own bed, sitting on it once more as she waited for Pyrrha to get ready. She hoped she didn't seem like she was in too much of a hurry...

About a minute later, the door swung open, and Pyrrha walked out of the washroom looking a little more awake than she when she'd gone in. The girl saw the clothes laid across her bed, looking up to Ruby with a smile.

"Ren and Blake went for breakfast already?" She guessed.

"Yep." Ruby confirmed. There had been no point in all of them waiting for Pyrrha to get up. "I told them to go ahead, saying we'd meet up in the cafeteria."

Pyrrha pulled her nightie off. "You could have just woke me."

Ruby looked away, affording her partner a little privacy, though the girl didn't really seem to care. "We could have, but there's plenty of time."

"What song do you have stuck in your head?" Pyrrha asked out of nowhere.

Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

"The way you're tapping your foot."

Ruby pressed the foot to the floor firmly, stopping the rogue limb from moving anymore. "…I- I didn't have a song stuck in my head. It's just a nervous habit... I'm looking forward to the simulation later."

"I'm sorry, I just assumed... nevermind." Pyrrha stated. "Are you ready?"

Ruby nodded enthusiastically.

Today was going to be PBRL's first blind simulation.

There would be no communication between anyone involved unless they were able to communicate virtually. That meant unless the others were 'visible,' or were calling each other through their scrolls, they had no idea what the others were doing.

The intent of the simulation was to see how well a team could work together while being completely isolated from each other. They were all given the same objective, and expected to complete it efficiently and effectively. When PBRL had gone into Vale the other day, they discussed strategy the entire time; what they'd do, when they'd do it, and how they'd do it.

If they were separated at the very beginning of the simulation, the entire team at least had a basic idea of what everyone would do, based on their shared objective.

On the other hand, even if they did start the simulation together, they would have very little time to plan; the simulation was live, meaning there might be a time limit based on their objective.

No instant communication, no time to strategize. No time to think, in some cases. All in all, it was at least ten times harder than what they'd been doing before.

Ruby didn't doubt her team could pull it off. She was, in fact, certain they would. She understood the seriousness of the situation, if she likened the simulation to a video game – like she had the many times before – she knew she'd be fine. They'd be fine.

She had faith in her team.

With a quick zip of her skirt, Pyrrha turned to her nightstand, setting her circlet over her head. Ruby wasn't sure why she wore it all the time, but she never bothered to ask. Maybe it was as important to Pyrrha as her cloak was to her?

"Alright, let's go get something to eat, and then crush that simulation." Pyrrha declared.

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted, pumping her fist in the air, before she strode over to the door, pulling it open. "Let's go!"

Ruby froze a moment later, seeing that the door across the hall opened.

The girl standing across from Ruby seemed less than pleased.

"Good morning." Ruby called over cautiously, both herself and Weiss Schnee stepping into the hallway.

"Good morning." The girl answered, as frostily as anyone would expect from someone with that kind of expression on her face. Weiss turned back, sticking her head into her dorm. "Come on already."

"Coming!" Ruby heard, before the girl's partner appeared in the doorway behind her. The orange haired girl's eyes were alight with laughter. Ruby knew Nora was fun to be around, but the look on Weiss' face seemed like that only applied in moderation – the stories Ren had told the rest of PBRL further evidence of that.

Both Nora and Weiss were dressed in their combat outfits rather than their Beacon uniforms.

"You guys are going training?" Ruby assumed as Pyrrha closed the door behind them.

"You betcha!" Nora exclaimed, posturing. "With any luck, we'll do better today than yesterday – and even better tomorrow!"

"I'd hope so." Weiss tacked on dryly. Ruby didn't miss the obvious nudge Nora gave Weiss with her elbow. "And what of your team?"

"We're doing simulations with Doctor Oobleck again." Pyrrha answered before Ruby could speak. "We were just headed to the cafeteria to get something to eat before we meet with him."

"Goodwitch hasn't taken us to the simulation room yet." Yang's white-clad teammate responded. "From what we've heard, they seem like interesting mental exercises."

Nora chuckled. "Yeah, what she said. We're going this way-" The girl pointed in the opposite direction of the cafeteria. "-so I guess we'll see you later?"

"Sure." Ruby nodded, turning and walking as she waved over her shoulder. "See you!"

Ruby and Pyrrha walked down the hall a short distance, before the girl looked over her shoulder, sighing.

"She doesn't like me, does she?"

"Weiss?" Pyrrha guessed, and Ruby nodded in response. "Well... admittedly you haven't made it easy for her. Just the other day you practically attacked her then caused half of JWYN's dorm to nearly combust."

Ruby felt her cheeks tint. "It was an accident and I apologized!"

"Weiss is like that."

"Is she? Do you know her well?"

"Not _very_ well, but she spoke to me quite a bit before initiation." The redhead confirmed, before she brought a hand to her chin in thought. "If we've met before then, I don't recall. It's possible she just recognized me from my competition days."

"Oh." Ruby remembered the times her leader would rarely mention participating in tournaments and the like. "Sometimes I forget you're famous."

Pyrrha smiled back at her. "Do you?"

"Well, it slips my mind." Ruby scratched her head. That much was true. "You haven't lost yet in combat class, even against Yang... so you're a good fighter and all... but you don't seem like you're famous or anything."

"That's reassuring to hear."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, confused at Pyrrha's response. "It is?"

"It is."

Ruby shrugged, the duo making their way in the cafeteria. The large hall wasn't very full, so it would have been easy enough to track down Blake and Ren – even if they hadn't been sitting where their team and JWYN usually ate.

"I'll go get your tray." Pyrrha offered. "You go sit."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." Pyrrha grinned. "It's the least I can do for sleeping in and keeping you waiting."

"Aww, thanks Pyrrha." Ruby smiled back. "I'll save you a spot."

Her partner shook her head and chuckled as she walked away, Ruby turning to go join her other two teammates.

* * *

 _This is_ _crazy_.

Jaune Arc scrambled behind the fallen trunk of a tree, sticking his head barely over it as he watched Yang square off against Goodwitch.

"Square off" was being generous however: It looked as if Goodwitch was doing all she could to hold Yang back, but in reality, Jaune knew she wasn't. There was no strain as she used her semblance to protect herself from any punch that came near, while simultaneously sending rocks, twigs, _whatever_ she could use to hit Yang and keep her away.

Jaune knew Goodwitch could pick up Yang and throw her halfway across the clearing any time she wanted – but doing so would leave her open. She was prepared to be attacked from any and every angle, and, worst of all, she wasn't even giving Yang more than the barest of attention. The woman's eyes were darting from hiding place to hiding place, knowing where each member of JWYN was.

They needed some kind of advantage.

Finally, Yang backed off, the floating stones following her as she ducked back behind a large chunk of the ruins their training ground was home to. Jaune made a hand sign and held it up over the trunk where he hid, whistling to get Yang's attention. It didn't matter that Goodwitch would know where he was, just that Yang got the message.

He saw her nod, just as a large rock smashed the trunk he had been hiding behind.

"You're taking too long. Don't give your opponent this much time to think." Goodwitch called out as Jaune retreated, keeping his shield up as he backed off. He didn't answer, ducking into the brush at the edge of the clearing.

"Are you ready?" He asked Weiss, the girl having moved behind the trunk beside him, Yang having relayed the message.

"Nora's in position." Weiss affirmed. "Don't ask such a stupid question."

Jaune drew Crocea Mors, flipping it over before holding it out towards Weiss."Then let's do this."

"I still can't get over how heavy this hunk of metal is."

"Are we going or what?" Jaune asked her, feeling the glyph expand beneath him. He pulled his rifle spear off his back, slammed a specific magazine in, and prepared to charge.

The moment he felt Weiss' glyph in his legs, he took off, landing in the clearing before he continued running, spear leveled at Goodwitch.

Team JWYN's mentor turned, and didn't even bat an eye as she stepped to the side, influencing Jaune's path with her semblance so he'd run past her with no way to recover naturally.

Jaune pulled the trigger of his spear, the recoil reducing his momentum as he struggled to turn around. Firing again, he took off back to Goodwitch, who seemed prepared to do the same thing again.

Only this time Nora came sprinting into the clearing as well – also powered by one of Weiss' glyphs.

But the timing was off, and Jaune passed Goodwitch again, just narrowly missing. As he fired another round to turn, he saw Nora flung over Goodwitch's head with a shout of surprise. His feet dug into the disturbed dirt and he took off again – this time not helped along by Aquila's recoil.

He needed his last three rounds.

He swung his spear upwards, hoping – and praying – that Goodwitch would try what everyone thought she would.

And she did: the woman's semblance gripped with his spear, wrenching it skywards as Jaune held on as best he could. His grip faltered, and the spear was flung higher up, Jaune's weight no longer holding it back.

Yang came charging in with a roar as she moved forward ready for a punch. Another one of Weiss' glyphs appeared beneath Jaune's feet. The boy jumped off the platform, as high as he could.

Goodwitch's hold on the spear dissipated, the professor likely turning to intercept Yang below. Jaune reached for Aquila, getting a grip as he pointed the barrel downwards, pulling the trigger to push himself higher into the air. He pointed the spear skywards as his momentum slowed and he prepared to fall.

 _This is going to hurt_.

Jaune pulled the trigger, and the final round – prepared specifically to have three times the recoil of a normal one, sent him soaring down at his instructor. The blond struggled to turn against the air resistance in an effort to point his spear downwards.

Yang was taken out too soon, though, and as Goodwitch turned her attention to Jaune he felt her semblance take hold again.

"Shit!" He cursed as he slowed to a stop before being cast aside lazily, bouncing along the ground until he was able to rise into a crouch.

"A valiant effort." Goodwitch called out. "But if Weiss had attack-"

At that moment, Weiss came charging out of the bush, as fast as Jaune had ever seen her move.

But even Jaune had been surprised, when instead of lunging at the blonde professor, she swung horizontally, bringing Crocea Mors around in a wide sweep.

 _Come on, you can do it_!

Goodwitch stopped the blade with one finger.

JWYN stared.

"Oh, what the fu-" Weiss was cut off as Goodwitch quickly pulled Crocea Mors towards herself, spinning before landing a brutal roundhouse in Weiss' midsection, sending the girl flying back with a flash of light and a shout of pain. The heiress careened straight into a tree, collapsing at its base in a heap of white.

"Weiss!" Nora called out, scrambling over to the girl.

"I hit her harder than I probably should have." Goodwitch stated dryly.

"Uh, guys?" Nora called out from Weiss' side. "She's out cold."

Jaune and Yang joined Nora at her side. The girl hadn't moved yet. The boy checked his scroll, confirming he had indeed seen Weiss' Aura shatter. Zero percent. It was gone.

"This session is now over. I suggest you take Weiss to the infirmary. Also, excellent work today. You've impressed me."

Jaune looked from Weiss' immobile form, to Goodwitch, back to Weiss.

"What?" Yang growled out. Jaune put a hand on her shoulder, feeling his girlfriend shaking, before she let out a heavy breath and relaxed.

"This is the first time any of you have made direct contact with me." The professor smiled. "Expect things to only get harder from here on out."

"Okay..." If Goodwitch could stop a slash with just one finger, then there was something he just had to ask her. "Yang, can you help Nora take her to the infirmary? I need to speak with Miss Goodwitch about something."

"I got her." Nora claimed determinately. "Can you carry Magnhild for me?"

His partner just looked from Nora, to Weiss' immobile form, to Goodwitch, then to Jaune before nodding, running to where Nora left her hammer.

Jaune stood, watching as Nora took Weiss into her arms, carrying her away gently. Yang, with Magnhild balanced over her shoulder, ran past Jaune, giving him a nod as she went by.

"Well, Jaune, there's something you wished to talk about?"

It was still weird having her call him by his first name. He turned to his team's mentor, nodding. "Yeah actually. I need a favor..."

"What is it?"

"Can I shoot you?" The boy asked quickly.

The woman blinked, before she leaned forwards, looking truly and honestly confused. "Excuse me?"

* * *

 _This is crazy_.

Pyrrha gripped the edges of her console, staring down at the holograms that only seemed to keep growing in number.

"This can't be..." She whispered to herself, watching the rioting faunus as she tried to figure out what to do. Manipulating the slightly familiar controls, she pulled her virtual representation back into the building, losing sight of the mob, but not perception of them, her character still able to hear them just as well beyond the walls. "Ren!" Pyrrha called out, knowing she had the boy on call, "Where's the target!? What was that explosion!?"

There was no answer from Ren, and Pyrrha cursed. She didn't have the time to call Ruby nor Blake, and those two were likely having troubles all their own. Though, Ren's lack of response was troubling. Either he hung up...

Or he was dead.

 _How did this all go to hell so quickly_? Pyrrha bit her lip, moving her character back out into the street. The speakers in the room blared loudly once more, the rioters so loud she could barely hear herself think.

Pyrrha shot her rifle in the air repeatedly, hoping it would reign in the crowd.

"She's gonna kill us! Get her!"

It did not.

Pyrrha winced as she turned her pawn, running it down the street with the mob followed her.

"What am I supposed to do?" She seethed, looking at the limited map she could see, her own position, and the riled crowd of faunus following her.

Ren and Ruby had confronted their real target in an effort to complete the objective – and that was the last Pyrrha had really heard from them before their fight began. Blake was nowhere to be found, and Pyrrha wanted to call the girl, but her current situation wouldn't allow her to.

If it had been the real world, Pyrrha could have ran and called her at the same time. The simulation didn't really accommodate for that.

As she thought of what to do, Pyrrha caught a glimpse of yellow, and her breath hitched.

That was their target.

She forced her pawn into a hard right, pursuing the yellow figure. He wasn't moving very fast, and she was certain she could catch him.

The question was how she would capture him with a horde of provoked faunus on her tail.

Pyrrha paid close attention to the speeds at which everyone moved. If she slowed down a little – just enough that she could force a little more distance between the target and the rioters chasing her – she might be able to secure him and get him out before the rampant mob caught up.

A gunshot rang out, and the target collapsed, before disappearing.

The entire holographic display turned red, then faded away.

"What just happened?" Pyrrha groaned in exasperation, before turning around and pushing the door of her private booth open. She blinked away the brighter light, her eyes settling on the three figures around the main table of the simulation room.

"The simulation is over, Miss Nikos." Oobleck called out as he, Blake, and Ren looked over the entire map of the area they'd been forced to work in. A large urban environment, much like they'd worked with in past exercises.

The door of the booth next to Pyrrha's own opened, PBRL's leader watching as Ruby stuck her head out nervously.

"Ruby..." Ren started.

"I'm sorry." She called out, stepping out into the room herself, then turning to her partner. "Pyrrha, what did you _do_?!"

"I'm sorry?"

"I must say." PBRL's mentor started slowly, cleaning his glasses as PBRL turned to face him. "That was a travesty. Never before have I seen a team fail so horrendously."

Every member of PBRL visibly winced at the comment, and Oobleck turned to Blake. "Miss Belladonna, would you care to share what happened on your end of the simulation?"

"Not necessarily...?" The girl offered weakly.

"Then I'll tell your team for you." Oobleck stood up straighter. "She was not in contact with any of you – as you might have noticed – because she was almost immediately forced into a situation that required extreme focus. She was trapped in a basement... with a bomb."

"A bomb?" The three students who hadn't known chorused, watching the replay on the table as Blake stared at the ground in shame.

"Indeed." Oobleck confirmed. "Miss Belladonna tailed an agent of the target's affiliated gang, who led her right into a trap. Miss Belladonna – realistically – had the option of breaking out or diffusing the bomb, the former resulting in the death of innocents in the building above. She decided to attempt the latter, and the bomb was remotely detonated before she could attempt to disarm it."

"That's what the explosion was?" Ruby wondered, the team watching the building explode.

"Yes."

"Oh..."

"Mr. Lie and Miss Rose started the simulation together, and did not experience much resistance until they found the target and engaged the two bodyguards protecting him as he ran away." The man adjusted his tie. "Miss Rose then left to pursue the target, leaving Mr. Lie alone to hold the bodyguards back."

"Tried to..." Ren noted.

"Quite." The professor agreed. "The men were experienced and had unlocked Auras, and Mr. Lie fell in battle shortly after Miss Rose left. Not far from the target's location was where Miss Nikos had been placed."

Pyrrha nodded and braced herself.

"As the result of actions taken by others in the area – as well as the explosion Miss Belladonna was caught in – White Fang extremists took advantage of a nearby faunus rally and turned the typically peaceful protesters hostile. Miss Nikos stumbled upon that, and set the whole mob against herself."

Definitely not her brightest moment, no. Off to the side, Pyrrha noticed Blake biting her lip in frustration.

"Then finally, as Miss Nikos chased the target, Miss Rose – in what I'm assuming was an attempt to disable, or even distract – shot the target. The wound was fatal, and the man died instantly."

All Pyrrha saw on the table was what had been seen from inside her booth – the mob, herself, and the target getting hit. The entire map panned out incredibly distant, to the point where Pyrrha's pawn was only barely visible.

"Miss Rose made the shot from here, the maximum targeting limit for her elevation." Oobleck stated, pointing at the apartment-like building she had climbed. "The simulation engine claims there was a three percent chance of a non-fatal blow out of a seven percent chance in total to hit – the other four percent a fatal blow. There was also a point-five percent chance of her hitting Miss Nikos herself."

"Stupid computers." Ruby grumbled. "I could have made that shot fine."

"Perhaps." The professor closed the simulation file. "Regardless, this was a complete and utter failure, and I'm surprised Grimm didn't start flooding the streets. I hope each of you have learned something from this."

Every member of PBRL was silent, Pyrrha included, as they reflected on what had occurred. What could they do to fix this?

"Then again, this was set to the highest difficulty possible for simulations of this variety."

Pyrrha looked up at PBRL's mentor in shock. "Wait, _what_?"

"The four of you were fully expected to fail this. Not even a fourth year team would guarantee success at the difficulty I'd assigned for your simulation." Oobleck explained. "But now you know what you're working towards. A level of performance to strive for."

Pyrrha looked to the elation on Ruby's face, Ren's obvious confusion, and Blake's eyes narrowing in... something.

They failed. They failed miserably. That meant they had something to improve on. That meant...

"Can we do it again?" Pyrrha asked without hesitation.

The professor nodded. "Of course. We have time for one more simulation today."

Pyrrha was glad she came to Beacon.

* * *

Beacon Academy had always been rumored to have a history of supplying students with the best possible facilities with which to improve themselves. Be it their training arenas, target ranges, weight rooms... they even had an indoor tide pool to simulate fighting in an aquatic environment, even if most students typically just reserved it for leisurely use.

Well, Jaune supposed it wasn't just rumored: he'd heard it from the people who had been there before him: His mom, his dad... even his aunt's journal praised Beacon as _the_ place to go if you wanted to become a successful huntsman or huntress. It wasn't just them, either. There was Yang's dad, there was Qrow...

At the same time, those were all people who had graduated from Beacon. Jaune was sure anyone who graduated from any of the other Academies would say the same or similar about their experiences from Atlas, Shade, or Haven.

Regardless, with the quality of the facilities Beacon offered its students – with Jaune now having experienced several of said facilities first hand – he had to say Beacon's forge was a little depressing.

Not that it wasn't up to date, oh no. The foundry equipment, the workbenches... everything was more than Jaune could have ever hoped for. What was depressing was no one ever seemed to be around when Jaune was there. The sole exception was Ruby, the one person Jaune figured might have spent more time in the forge than him.

Jaune hadn't even met the forgemaster yet, and he'd stopped in frequently, either for Aquila's maintenance – being the one weapon he needed the space for – or to work with Dust in an area much safer than their dorm room.

A charred workbench was better than lighting the drapes on fire. Again.

Jaune was currently shaving a smaller Burn crystal, using a small chisel to slowly chip one end into a point. If he chipped too much off, the past ten minutes of work would be for naught, and he'd have to grind the crystal into... well... dust.

He had more than enough ground Burn Dust as it was. He didn't need more.

Angling the chisel properly, Jaune prepared to tap it lightly with his hammer. He drew the tool back...

The scroll in his pants' pocket vibrated, he tapped the chisel harder than he wanted to. He watched in horror with his mouth agape as the crystal split in half.

"No..." He groaned, looking down at the ruined pieces. He was going to have to start all over.

With a sigh, Jaune swept the shattered fragments to the side with the rest of the junk Dust he was going to have to take care of. He stared at the chipped pieces of Burn crystal, wondering if perhaps there was something he could do with it aside from grinding it. He turned his focus back vibrating scroll in his pocket, focusing on the pattern it vibrated in. The blond had the ringer disabled for both scrolls, but quickly developed a system of telling which was ringing if he had to carry them in the same pocket.

He quickly scanned the forge to make sure he was still alone before bringing out the scroll he wasn't supposed to be seen with.

Jaune pulled the scroll apart, answering awkwardly: "Jaune speaking."

"Good evening." The familiar face started. "This is James Ironwood."

"Good evening, General." Jaune responded. "Are you well?"

 _Evening_? Jaune looked up at the clock at the top of the scroll, noting the sun would just be setting now. _Oh, right... Atlas._

"Quite well. And yourself? Fitting in at Beacon?"

"I am. I like it here, actually." Jaune confirmed with a smile. It felt weird to be talking so casually with a man who was both the Headmaster of Atlas Academy and an Atlesian General.

Then Jaune remembered the man was likely calling for a reason.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

The man nodded. "There's a favor I'd like to ask of you. I have a friend of mine here in Atlas whose daughter should be heading to Vale this weekend. She's one of my students here who has performed exceptionally since the beginning of the year. She'll be in Vale until the Vytal Festival is over."

"Why is she coming here so early?" Jaune had to wonder. He did the mental math – she would be staying a long time.

"A vacation of sorts." The General explained. "Also a reward for exceeding the standards of excellence, and her team was selected to participate in the tournament anyway. I'm calling you because I'd like someone to make sure she arrives safely, and maybe show her around Vale. Someone her own age who's familiar with the city."

Jaune just blinked, nodding. _She must be quite the student_ , _then_.

"Is she important?" The boy asked skeptically.

"I'm asking this as a favor. I'm not forcing you to do it."

"Ah, sorry." Jaune apologized. "That's not what I meant. I'm just curious, I guess."

"It's quite alright. You'll do it then?"

Jaune nodded. "Sure thing. What's her name?"

"Penny Polendina. I'll send her estimated arrival once I know she's on her way. You can use your scroll to familiarize yourself with her before she arrives."

"Sounds good." Jaune confirmed. "Was that everything?"

"It should be." Atlas' headmaster confirmed. "I'll be sure to keep in touch. Have a good night."

"You too."

The call ended, and Jaune slid the scroll closed, putting it back in his pocket. He breathed out a sigh of relief, making sure he remembered to look up this Penny girl as soon as he was done making his Dust round.

He was going to need a lot more of them, now that he was perfectly sure they were safe to use against other students.

 _Tell me..._ Goodwitch had said, dusting the frost off her clothes. ... _Why haven't you been using these in class_?

Jaune shook his head, reaching across the workbench for another chunk of Burn Dust.

The blond spent about three or four minutes at least carving the piece into shape. It was almost finished.

He pulled the hammer back.

"Hi there!"

Jaune chipped the crystal lightly - wrongly - as he coughed harshly in surprise. Then, not a moment later, a larger chunk – larger than it was supposed to be – fell off the crystal, and Jaune sighed, sweeping the Dust into the junk pile.

The blond turned, mustering the best smile he could. "Hi."

"You're Jaune, is that right?" The brown haired girl, with a matching pair of ears sitting atop her head, smiled. "From team JWYN?"

"That's right. Jaune Arc." He already knew who she was.

"Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina. A pleasure." The girl leaned over, looking curious. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Well..." The girl met his eyes with a smile. "No, not really."

"You're working with Dust?" She quizzed, seeing the shards at one end of the table.

"Yeah." Jaune turned back to the table.

"Mind if I watch?"

Jaune hesitated for a moment, before he shrugged. "Sure, pull up a chair if you want."

The girl did so, and sat patiently to the side as Jaune reached for yet another Burn crystal, pressing it against the workbench as he prepared his tools.

"Isn't something like this dangerous?" The girl asked, as Jaune began chipping away. "Using a hammer and chisel, I mean. I'm pretty familiar with Dust itself, but I don't think I'd try to sculpt it like that myself."

 _Father runs a Dust shop_...

"It is, but I've been doing it for a while, so I'm prepared for everything and anything to go wrong."

Jaune tapped lightly, finally breathing a sigh of relief as the third Burn crystal he worked on separated perfectly.

With a pair of tweezers, Jaune picked up a hollowed piece of Ice Dust. Mixing Burn and Ice was something he'd succeeded with before, but what he was attempting was something a little more ambitious and complicated.

Luckily, if things went wrong, what he was doing only had somewhat minor consequences.

A small flame that flickered and died, a light cloud of fog-like mist, an electric shock, flash frozen fingers... the last two were technically worse, but his Aura would negate the damage most of that would've caused anyone else. Unless it actually reacted prematurely, in which case, he hoped Velvet would be able to get away fast enough – he knew he could take the hit, at least.

To think, in factories there were some civilians who made Burn and Shock ammunition without Aura. Though, they had quicker and safer ways of doing it than by hand, and they probably weren't trying to do what he was doing, either. Not only did Jaune have to be precise, he also needed to be quick.

Jaune took a breath, and then he moved: He quickly poured some ground Energy Dust into the Ice crystal's cavity, and before it settled, added the ground Shock Dust. The Energy Dust began to glow, and Jaune nearly panicked, before he pushed the Burn crystal he'd just finished cutting into the gap.

 _Please work_.

The ground Dust within the Ice cavity ceased to glow, and Jaune breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Did you just... what did you just do?"

Jaune held his creation up to the light, examining the swirling Dust caught between the Burn and Ice crystals. He heard Velvet shift forward to get a better look.

"I... I don't know if there's an official name for it," Jaune admitted, "but I guess you could call it an impartial fusion or something like that?"

"How?"

"The Burn Dust stabilizes the Shock Dust – don't ask me how – which means the Energy Dust shouldn't react until the Burn Dust ignites, which would set off the Energy Dust at the same time the Shock Dust would."

Jaune turned, holding the round out to the girl, her eyes widening as she took it in her hand, examining it.

"So, it would cause two reactions?"

"Three. In sequence." Jaune corrected. "The Ice Dust isn't just there for show."

The rabbit faunus handed the bullet back to Jaune. "I've never seen anything like it. What will it do?"

"I don't know yet."

"What?"

"An hour of work, just for a bullet that may or may not do anything..." Jaune grinned, proud of his effort."I can't wait to test it out."

"How are you going to do that?" Velvet asked innocently.

"Well..." Jaune rubbed his chin. "I guess I can save this one for the next match I have in the second years' combat class, so you can see me use it? I'd rather not just waste this one on the range."

"Hold on a moment." Velvet requested, and Jaune turned towards her. "The last time my team went to the firing range we saw one of the long-distance targets covered in ice."

"That was probably me."

An almost feral grin spread across her face.

"I'll be looking forward to your match, then."

* * *

 **Well now, seems like things are in motion once more. You have to wonder what everyone's going to be up to don't you?** **I don't because I know, but you guys _don't_ know! That's one of the pleasures of being a writer.**

 **Let me know what you guys think in a review. I love hearing from you guys, and even if I don't reply, I see everything you say**. **Or even send me a PM.**

 **See you next time!**


	32. Unexpected Developments

**Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying the New Year so far! Here's another chapter of Technician, so enjoy!**

 **Oh, and some of you may have noticed the new cover art. It was commissioned by Sir Deadpool, and completed by Dishwasher1910. Huge shout out to both of them for being awesome people.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Best girl is here."_

* * *

Jaune let out the breath he'd been holding, fingers tightening around the cardboard sign in his grip. The blond looked down at the lettering on its face, checking once more that he had the spelling right.

"Maybe her flight was delayed?" Yang suggested, the boy's partner standing next to him with her arm crossed as they waited.

A young couple approached, giving Jaune a wary glance, though he saw the way they visibly relaxed as they realized he – armed and armored in the middle of Vale's biggest airport – was waiting for someone else. The couple passed by, Jaune not paying them anymore heed.

"Her flight left on time. She should be here by now." The boy reassured, shuffling on his feet. Turning around, Jaune glanced outside the airport's glass windows, seeing Weiss peering in as Nora talked to her about something or other, chatting away. The Schnee heiress hadn't been in the best of moods since the other day. He could see it on her face.

Though, that could have been because Jaune – in his excitement at being told his rounds could be used in class – had rushed straight to the forge, and had been reminded of Weiss' predicament an hour or two later when Nora messaged him.

Even when Yang told the girl they'd technically won the fight, her mood hadn't really improved.

However, the slight smile Weiss had when she said something back to Nora – the short, energetic girl snapping her mouth shut and adopting a pensive expression – assured Jaune all was well.

 _She's probably just frustrated Goodwitch got the drop on her._

Goodwitch always got the drop on them, but that time had been different.

Jaune looked down at the tiled floor, already considering what their next best plan of attack would be. The strategy for the most recent attempt had more than a few flaws – when just one flaw was already one too many.

If they'd been more in sync, or if they'd changed their timing just a litt-

The familiar ring of Yang's scroll hit Jaune's ears, and the device was in the girl's hands in seconds. It was just a message, the boy realized, and he went back to eyeing the doorway any new arrivals would have to pass through on the way out of the airport.

"Who's it from?"

"Ruby." Yang said, reading the text. "She's going to be coming down to Vale with her team today too. They did really well on a simulation the other day, so Pyrrha's buying them lunch."

"That's nice of her."

"Well, I'm sure she can afford it." Yang commented, shrugging as she too went back to looking for their guest – though Jaune hadn't shown her the picture.

"She's rich?" Jaune asked in wonder.

"The prize money from being a four-time Mistral Regional champion and all her sponsorship deals? She might be richer than Weiss."

"Huh." The blond blinked, looking down at the tiled floor. He'd never really thought about it.

Yang nudged Jaune in the ribs, and the boy flinched, looking up at the figure standing before them – one who hadn't been standing there just seconds before.

 _Just like in the picture – the same smile and everything_.

"Salutations!" The girl greeted excitedly, a couple passers-by glancing over at the sudden commotion. Jaune smiled in response. "You must be Jaune Arc."

The girl seemed just as eccentric as his scroll's dossier described - and Jaune had spent a fair amount of time reading through her entire file. He'd even gone so far as to check out the files of her teammates to try to get a better feel for how to handle the girl.

"Hi there." Jaune greeted, having prepared for the girl's demeanor as best he could – though he hadn't really expected her to be so...

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune could see Yang's awkward smile, her facial expression mirroring his internal thoughts perfectly.

"That makes you Penny." Jaune let the sign he'd been holding drop to his side, offering the girl his freed hand.

The Atlesian student took his hand in a firm grip. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

In his peripheral, Jaune saw Yang turn her head towards him. "Sir?" His girlfriend quizzed, half in amusement, and half in confusion.

"Headmaster Ironwood told me about you." The girl continued. "He said to treat you with the utmost respect, not only as a fellow student, but also as someone I can rely upon if I need assistance."

Jaune was a little taken aback at that. "He really said that about me?"

"But of course. He also went on to say you were dependable, reliable-"

"Whoa, slow down." Yang stepped forwards between the two, Jaune wondering what the hell she was thinking.

"You sure he was talking about Jaune?"

Jaune smiled at the small barb. "Funny."

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met." The girl took it in stride, her green eyes staring unblinkingly into Yang's, ignoring her earlier interruption. "My name is Penny Polendina. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Yang just blinked in response, before she offered her own hand in greeting. "Yang Xiao Long, but you can just call me Yang."

"Yang." Penny repeated, before she nodded. "Got it."

The blond boy craned his neck, looking at the small suitcase the girl had brought along. It wasn't much, especially if she was going to be spending so long in Vale. "Well, I suppose we should get going."

Both girls nodded in response, and Jaune made for the exit. Yang quickly fell into step with him, walking alongside Jaune as she looked back at the Atlesian girl who trailed behind, dragging her suitcase along.

"It's not just me, right?" Yang whispered.

Jaune blinked in confusion. "What?"

"She's kinda... well... weird."

The boy shook his head. Penny seemed normal to him – or maybe that was just because he was expecting her to be somewhat... different... already. "Maybe it's the hair color."

"The hair color?" Yang pondered aloud, brow furrowed in confusion – before it dawned on her. "Oh... right."

Jaune pushed the exit open, holding it as Yang and Penny proceeded through.

"Jaune!" Nora called out. "Weiss just told me this riddle, and I can't figure it out."

"What is it?" Jaune called out, Yang, Penny and himself all standing opposite Weiss and Nora.

"What's black, white, and red in the face?"

The blond blinked, meeting Yang's eyes. "A Beowolf?" He offered.

"A Boarbatusk?" Yang grinned, and so did Jaune.

"Blake when she's reading?" They said simultaneously.

"Yes! High five!" Yang cheered.

Weiss just sighed in response as Jaune and Yang celebrated such a great set up. "No, it's-"

"The Glacier Cliffs at sunset."

Everyone stopped, Jaune and the rest turning to Penny, the girl standing there with her hands clasped behind her back, glancing up from a point on the ground she seemed to be fixated on.

"That's right..." Weiss noted, surprised. "Everyone from Atlas knows about them."

Penny nodded, smiling."My father told me they were beautiful. I'd like to see them myself someday."

"Weiss, that's not fair!" Nora protested with a scowl. "How was I supposed to know that?"

"You weren't. I just wanted some peace and quiet for a little while." Weiss countered, before turning to her fellow Atlesian. "Regardless, your name is Penny, correct? It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry, your name is Weiss?"

Jaune tilted his head, slightly puzzled.

"Schnee." The white haired girl answered, looking a little vexed herself. "Weiss Schnee."

"Schnee... _oh_!" The girl perked up, as if she'd just made the connection. "Are you related to Winter Schnee?"

The heiress blinked, Jaune looking between her and the new arrival. "She's my sister."

"She was just visiting Atlas Academy a few days ago as a guest instructor. She's very nice."

"...Nice?" Weiss quizzed.

Jaune looked to Yang, and the blonde just shrugged in response.

"Hey!" Nora called out, and Penny turned towards her. The energetic girl grinned. "I'm Nora."

"Salutations!"

Nora grinned wider, stepping closer to Penny. The admittedly odd girl didn't budge, and Nora chuckled. "I think we'll make great friends."

"...Friends?"

* * *

Pyrrha sighed contently, stretching as the sun's rays came down from above, piercing the scattered tops of the trees around the park in northern Vale she and her team had decided to stop at for a short while.

The girl leaned back, using her arms for support as she stared up at the leaves, fluttering in the breeze. It was a nice warm day, perfect for relaxing outside.

"It's nice they have a place like this in the commercial district." Ren pointed out, the raven haired boy sitting against a tree not far from the bench Pyrrha and Blake were sharing. Ruby was laying on the grass, her cloak spread out beneath her in the shade, while the aforementioned bookworm was, of course, reading to Pyrrha's left.

"It's nice here. There's plenty of green." The redhead agreed.

That got a grunt of affirmation out of Blake.

There was a loud ding, and Ruby, behind the bench on which Pyrrha sat, hummed in confusion.

"What's up?" Pyrrha asked, looking over her shoulder.

"It's from Yang. She says 'I never want to hear the word friend again – at least for a month.' Do you guys have any idea what that means?"

"No?" Pyrrha responded cautiously.

Blake looked like she let out a silent chuckle. "Nope."

"Not at all." Ren replied. "Does it have something to do with what her and the rest of team JWYN were doing today?"

"Picking up that student from Atlas?" Ruby posed, sitting up. Pyrrha turned around on the bench to face her partner as she spoke. "Probably, but it's still a weird message."

"It is." Pyrrha agreed. "Who were they supposed to be picking up again?"

"Some girl from Atlas Academy who's supposed to be coming here for the Vytal Festival. Yang said Jaune was asked to make sure the girl made it safely and show her around."

"Who asked him?" Blake quizzed, looking over her shoulder at their team's youngest member.

"The headmaster of her school, I think..."

"... General Ironwood?"

"Ironwood!" Ruby exclaimed. "That's who it was!"

"The famous Atlesian General knows Jaune?" The sole male member of PBRL asked, voicing the question Pyrrha had been asking herself the moment Ruby confirmed who she'd been referring to.

Ruby turned to Ren. "I don't know, I guess? I mean, I only know what Yang told me; team JWYN as a whole could have been asked, or maybe it was Professor Ozpin? Goodwitch?"

"That could be it." Ren nodded, looking over to Blake. Pyrrha followed his gaze, watching at the boy's partner as she flipped a page, seeming to have lost interest in the conversation.

"Though, it's possible they met before. Jaune and the General, I mean. Yang too."

"Go on." Pyrrha prodded, curious as to what her partner meant.

"Well, my uncle, Yang, and Jaune all went up to Atlas back in winter for a mission. Something big happened, because Jaune was injured when he came back, and had to miss classes for a week or so."

"Was this after the Color Holidays?" Blake asked, surprising Pyrrha as she'd missed the moment the girl had closed her book, setting it aside.

"Yeah, they left for the mission about a day or two after classes were supposed to start again, and they didn't come back for a while." Ruby frowned. "How'd you guess?"

"I... heard rumors something happened up near Atlas around then, but the details were never made public."

Ruby nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, no one really talked about it when they got back. Jaune was moody the whole week he had off, actually; the one day I went to check on him after classes, he had a pretty bad fever too. Yang was really quiet, and Uncle Qrow handed out a lot more detentions."

"I remember your uncle." Ren stated, jumping into the conversation. Pyrrha tilted her head, not familiar with Ruby's uncle, nor having known Ren had met him before. The boy met her eyes, and he elaborated: "In Nyurse, before..."

Team PBRL was silent, each of them knowing what Ren was referring to.

"Actually, now that I think about it..." Ren continued after a moment. "How did Jaune end up getting injured? He shot one of his exploding rounds at his feet and was launched headfirst into a Bullhead door, but he came out of that relatively unscathed."

A few seconds passed as Ruby hummed, thinking of her answer.

"I'm not sure – his shoulder was wrapped up, and his shield had taken quite the beating..." Ruby sighed, laying back down on the grass. "I'd assumed it was just a muscle tear or something, but he did say it scarred."

"I remember how his shield looked back then too. It's hard to believe it's the same one he's using now."

Pyrrha hummed. "It was beat up pretty bad?"

"The entire face was scratched bare." Ren mentioned.

"The mechanism was jammed too." Ruby added.

Recalling what they'd learned in Oobleck's lectures, Pyrrha brought a hand to her chin. "Atlas is relatively safe, Grimm-wise. The military makes sure of that..."

 _What could have possibly happened up in Atlas_?

"I don't think we should really worry about it." Blake stated, picking her book back up as she flipped it to whatever page she left off on. Pyrrha noted the blank expression on her face, her words spoken with little emotion. "What's in the past is in the past."

As if to punctuate Blake's statement, Ruby's scroll let out another ding. The girl checked, and her eyes widened.

"Lucky!" She whined in reaction to the message.

"What now?" Pyrrha asked, leaning forwards in interest.

"Yang and her team are going to Jaune's sister's diner for lunch! I still haven't met her yet..."

Everyone glared at Ruby. "There's no way you're hungry again already."

"I'm not, but I'd love to meet another one of my cousins."

Pyrrha blinked in response to that. "Your cousins?"

Ruby froze, her mouth hanging open as she raised a finger.

"Uhh... looks like there's something I need to share with you all?"

There was only one thing Pyrrha thought at the girl's words.

"Jaune and Yang are _cousins_?" Pyrrha wondered aloud, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

A certain sequence of events flashed through the girl's mind: a loud, rambunctious blonde girl chasing another blond around Beacon's ballroom, screaming at him to get out of his pajamas with a bloodthirsty look in her eyes.

 _But that's forbidden love_...

"What? No! No no no, they're not related at all." Ruby assured, as if she could hear Pyrrha's thoughts. "Yang and I are only half sisters. We have different mothers, and I'm related to Jaune on my mom's side."

Pyrrha took a breath in, nodding along. She glanced at Blake, the dead look in the girl's eyes fading as life returned to her expression.

Ruby's correction instead brought something else to Pyrrha's mind.

"What exactly is going on with those two anyway?"

* * *

"It's not far from here." Jaune stated, stopping at the crosswalk as he waited anxiously for the walk light to shine.

"I can't wait to see her again." Yang said for what must have been the tenth time at the least. "The last time I saw her was when she-"

"Dropped Jaune off at the airport, the day before initiation. You've said it twelve times by now." Weiss spat bitterly. Jaune turned to stare at the girl, and watched as she blinked in blatant disgust.

"Are you okay?" Jaune had to ask.

"Sorry, I don't know what just came over me. I've been having a very off day." The heiress sighed, rubbing at her temples. She looked over her shoulder, at the two girls who had fallen behind. "Those two haven't been helping."

"Wow, you're really good at math... How about this? If a crab and a half weighs a pound and a half, and a half crab weighs half again the whole crab..."

Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose, tuning out Nora to the best of his ability. The boy began to cross the street, the light having changed at some point while he'd been distracted.

"Two-point-one pounds."

" _…_ Wow."

Jaune just smiled lightly as he shook his head, walking ahead as he lead his team in the direction of the diner Juncea owned. Well, her fiancé owned, but Jaune couldn't be bothered to make that distinction, so he just referred to it as his sister's diner. He'd been there only a couple times, but the food was incredible for its price.

Heck, the only real reason he hadn't been there much had been how much time he'd spent on Patch when going to Signal; that, and the ferry ride would have definitely made him sick then. At Beacon, he could manage to make it every weekend if he wanted to.

Not that he would, but that he could.

The boy turned, stopping in front of the double doors that lead inside the decently large building. He smiled back at his entourage.

"This is the place, sir?" Penny asked.

"It is." Jaune confirmed, the four girls falling in beside him.

"It looks... homey." Weiss pointed out, though Jaune wasn't sure if it was intended as a compliment or not. Through the windows, Jaune could see it was decently busy – probably in the middle of the lunch rush.

"What are we waiting for? I'm _starving_." Nora called out, pulling the door open as she let herself in. Jaune stepped forward to hold the door for Weiss, the heiress nodding in thanks. Penny waited for a moment, before Jaune motioned her forwards. She bowed politely, walking inside.

Yang just stood there, her hands on her hips as Jaune continued to hold the door. "You know, I bet if you asked her not to call you sir, she'd stop."

"You know, I actually don't mind it." Jaune admitted, the girl pausing before him on her way in. "Are you going to go inside?"

The girl raised her eyebrows, reaching up to caress his cheek. For a moment, Jaune thought she'd lean in for a kiss right there, but the smile on her face was one of mischief.

"Yes _sir_..." She teased, her fingers trailing down his neck as she moved on.

"You're taking years off my life already." Jaune muttered, following his girlfriend in as he closed the door behind him.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Jaune affirmed, able to see the sign politely asking them to wait until they were seated from over the heads of his teammates.

The boy clasped his hands behind his back, waiting patiently as Nora began to ask Penny another riddle, pulling them off of her scroll at this point.

"Hey, I have one for you Nora." Weiss started out. "It goes like this: 'Speak my name, and I will no longer exist. What am I?'"

"Silence." Nora answered instantaneously. "...Why'd you give me such an easy one?"

Jaune couldn't stop the smile from sprouting on his face as Weiss' mouth fell agape, stunned into the riddle's answer. The girl's eyebrow twitched, and she took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly.

"Hello, sorry for the wait. Welcome to- _Jaune_?"

With a wide grin on her face, Juncea stepped out from behind the counter she'd just gone behind to grab menus. Her hair was done up in a high bun, likely to keep it out of the food.

"Hey sis!" Jaune called out, gently pushing past Penny to hug his eldest sister. The woman reciprocated the hug, pulling him tight. "How're things?"

"Wonderful. There's... five of you?" The blonde quirked an eyebrow, stepping back. "I thought Beacon's teams were made of fours."

"They are..." Jaune confirmed, looking around the densely populated diner. "I'll introduce you later, when you get a chance."

"Yeah, sorry, it's been busy today. I'll get you guys seated, and one of the servers will take care of you."

Juncea led Jaune and the others over to a booth on the far side of the diner, with a round table that could seat all five students. Jaune climbed in first, sitting at the opposite end, while Yang and Weiss claimed the spots next to him, Nora sitting next to her partner and Penny sitting across from her.

Jaune's sister slid them all their menus, and took off, jogging towards the back with a quick "Sorry!" sent over her shoulder.

"She's quite the busybody." Weiss noted, watching as she ducked into the kitchen.

"She is, yeah." Jaune agreed, knowing his sister better than most people did. "Hopefully it slows down in here and we get some time to talk to her, but for now we should decide what we're getting."

Jaune flipped open the menu, seeing a few new items that hadn't been there the last time he'd paid the diner a visit – which had, coincidentally, also been nearly a year ago.

The blond looked up, seeing Penny hadn't opened her menu at all. "Not hungry?" He asked.

The girl looked up, realizing he'd been talking about her. She wrapped her hands around the glass of water that had been put in front of her by their waiter just moments ago, taking a sip of it. "I'll be fine with this, thank you."

Jaune just shrugged, returning his attention to the menu. The waiter came back a few minutes later, but he had to leave for a minute or so as Nora _still_ hadn't decided – not that Jaune could blame her: Everything looked delicious.

When they finally did order, their food was served around ten minutes later, and the four who'd ordered it all dug in with gusto.

Jaune was too focused on his own meal to really pay attention to what everyone else had ordered, but he glanced over at Weiss' plate, swallowing the bite he'd just taken out of his sandwich. He noticed what the heiress was eating was actually something vaguely familiar.

He remembered seeing something almost exactly like it on the front cover of the cookbook he'd gotten Juncea for Colors Day.

"I see you're still wearing the scarf I got you, even in the middle of summer." Jaune heard, the boy busy chewing on another mouthful of food as his sister learned on the corner of the booth. "Doesn't it get hot?"

Jaune swallowed his food, bringing a hand to the scarf she'd made him. "It actually breathes really well. I thought it was just wool at first, but now I can finally ask you – what is this thing made of?"

His older sister blinked, chuckling. "It is just wool, but I made that scarf with all my love."

"Bleh, guess I can't wear it anymore." Jaune taunted.

"Ass." Juncea smiled, looking around the table. "So, I guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Juncea Arc, Jaune's eldest sister."

A chorus of "nice to meet you" rose from the table, and Juncea turned to Yang first, smiling. "I've already met you, of course. Keeping your future husband out of trouble?"

Weiss sputtered into her drink, even as Jaune chuckled nervously, blushing.

"I'm not getting him _into_ trouble." Yang declared, shuffling closer to Jaune as his ears turned hot.

Juncea blinked in response, turning to Jaune. "She didn't deny it."

"Well... a lot can happen in a month." Jaune stated vaguely.

"Wait, you two are together-together now?" Nora asked loudly. "Yes! I knew it!"

Jaune's heart beat heavily in his chest as he nodded, Yang moving to rest her head against his shoulder. The boy turned to Weiss, gauging her reaction.

The heiress pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm ready to wake up now. This has to have all been some weird fever dream and I'm going to wake up any second now."

"Sorry, this isn't a dream." Yang called out, Jaune feeling her speak.

Weiss opened her eyes, meeting Yang's, then turning to Jaune. "Then congratulations, I guess."

"Hey, fever girl." Juncea spoke up, taking the spotlight off of him and Yang for a moment. "I know I've seen you before somewhere, but- _ah,_ you're Weiss Schnee."

"Fever girl?" The heiress asked, ultimately defeated.

"You have a very pretty voice; you're such a good singer, too. I'm actually rather envious."

"Thank you? Oh, I have to ask, who made this quiche?"

"I did." Juncea claimed with pride. "I take it you enjoyed it?"

 _Please say yes, please say yes_...

"Immensely." Weiss stated happily. "I haven't had something that's this light, yet still both delicious and filling in a long time – and I haven't been away from home for very long."

Jaune smiled as Juncea's own seemed to grow larger. "Better than what the Schnee's personal chefs make? I'm not worthy such praise."

"Sorry to interrupt..." Nora started, cutting Weiss off. "...But are you the one who taught Jaune how to make pancakes?"

"I am."

"I love you." Nora stated unashamedly.

Juncea let out a hearty laugh, reaching for the chain around her neck. She pulled it out, revealing the engagement ring her fiancé had gotten her. "Sorry, I'm taken. You are?"

"Nora Valkyrie." The girl responded, her eyes hungry. "I'll be coming here a lot. Ren'll be with me next time."

That response brought another bout of laughter from Juncea, as well as a few chuckles from himself and Yang.

Finally, Jaune's sister turned to Penny, the girl not talking much the while they'd all eaten, perhaps content to just sit and watch. That alone made Jaune feel a little awkward, but there wasn't exactly anything that could have been done about that.

"And you are?" Juncea posed.

"I'm Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Juncea looked over to Jaune, as if expecting an explanation from him – even not having asked about who his teammates were. It was apparently easy enough to pick the odd one out.

"She's from Atlas Academy, here for the Vytal Festival. I was asked to pick her up from the airport and show her around."

The eldest Arc sister just shrugged. "Must be a Hunter thing, then?"

Jaune nodded in response, watching on as Juncea looked over her shoulder. "It's looking like I might have to get back to work here shortly... oh, before I forget..."

The blond boy tilted his head. "Yeah?"

"Did you ever call Mum like you were supposed to?"

The boy froze up, staring at his elder sister.

"Shit."

"You should probably take care of that, then." Juncea pointed out, walking away while speaking over her shoulder. "Maybe give Claire a ring too, hey?"

Yang snorted in laughter as Jaune blinked, the boy turning to glare at her.

"You forgot to call your _mom_?" She giggled, a fist held in front of her mouth, holding in the bite of cheeseburger she'd been chewing.

Jaune just rested his chin in his hand, frowning at Yang. "You haven't called home either, have you?"

The blonde girl chuckled nervously, swallowing her food.

"That's what I thought."

"So Penny..." Weiss started out, clearly trying to ignore Yang's – and _Nora's_ – lack of table manners, changing both the subject and the participants of the conversation in just a couple words. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go? We're supposed to show you around Vale, after all, but we've just been walking around."

Jaune looked at the Atlesian student, waiting for her response.

"I don't know Vale very well. Is there somewhere we should go first?"

"Actually..." Weiss frowned. "You've been dragging your suitcase around this whole time."

"Where are you staying?" Jaune asked, seeing what Weiss was getting at. Penny turning towards him with a smile. "We can go get you checked in after we're done here."

The blond took a bite of his sandwich, the girl blinking in response, still smiling. "I was told you were going to be the one to arrange for my accommodations, sir."

Jaune almost choked on his food.

"I was?"

"You were?" Weiss asked.

"He what?" Yang accused.

"This is delicious!" Nora exclaimed.

* * *

Blake frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she followed her team down the boardwalk, keeping her ears tuned to the conversation between Ruby and Pyrrha. The girl wasn't paying much attention to what they'd been saying, mostly because something much more important was on her mind.

 _They were there_.

The faunus sighed under her breath, looking at her reflection as she passed a shop's window, her bow perched atop her head.

It finally made sense.

The White Fang raid on the Schnee lab up in Atlas, just a few days after the culmination of the Color Holidays? Jaune Arc had been there, as had his partner and friend, Yang. It was the only thing that really made sense.

The intel they'd gotten from the White Fang up in Atlas had mentioned a token force of Atlesian soldiers working the security for the Schnee lab. The report had only been a day old at that point, and Vale's branch of the White Fang had moved quickly.

But not quickly enough. Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao Long, and whoever Ruby's uncle were had been variables they couldn't have accounted for.

Her friends had been on the other side of the conflict, Blake still being with the White Fang back then, even though she hadn't been directly involved in said raid.

Jaune had been injured during that mission. But perhaps more importantly, he'd been hurt in an engagement that had left nearly forty White Fang operatives either killed or captured.

If he'd used those Dust rounds of his... the thought of it was unpleasant. She'd fought both Jaune and Yang; the people they'd sent wouldn't have stood a chance against either of them alone, never mind together.

Never mind whoever else had been there.

But they were there. They knew what happened.

"Blake?"

At the mention of her name, the girl snapped her eyes up to Ren.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I'd asked if there was somewhere you wanted to stop by."

"Not particularly." She'd only been paying the slightest attention to Ruby and Pyrrha's conversation, she hadn't even heard Ren start to talk. "Thanks for asking though."

Her partner nodded, turning to look out over the bay.

The more Blake thought about it, the more evidence came to mind: aside from what Ruby had just told them in the park earlier, there had been other signs the faunus girl hadn't noticed until just moments ago.

Such as the way Jaune had approached Weiss Schnee during initiation as if they'd met before – and the interactions between them throughout. The SDC heiress had blatantly ignored him for some reason, from what Blake remembered, and Weiss' interactions with Yang had been even more hostile.

The ex-terrorist's imagination ran wild as she considered the possibilities. Had they been forced into some kind of unsavory situation during that attack, something that had left a void between them? Was it possible they hadn't even known each other at all before that day? That Jaune, Yang, and Ruby's uncle hadn't been involved?

Blake didn't know – and it was likely she'd _never_ know.

She couldn't just go and ask the three of them about what happened either, even if she'd explained it was simple curiosity that had brought her to them after Ruby shared what she'd known about the mission. Blake would have been better off painting the White Fang's emblem on her back and asking to be put before a firing squad of racist Atlesian soldiers.

Having all three of them getting along on the same team bothered her a lot more than it had before. She had no idea what that really meant, but it spelled trouble: A Schnee, and two other people with past conflicts with the White Fang?

The faunus bit her lip. Even _now_ , they were showing a student of Atlas around Vale... at the request of General Ironwood, of the Atlas military.

It made her uneasy. It was as if her past was nipping at her heels. And it wasn't just this new development that made her feel like that either; there was more. There would always be more.

Blake glanced to her left, seeing Ren walking along as he stared out into the Valean Bay. Ruby and Pyrrha were still chatting along, the younger girl giggling at something their leader said.

They hadn't shown any signs of it, but Blake had a sneaking suspicion her team knew she was a faunus. This, unlike what potentially tied Jaune to the raid on the Schnee lab up north, had no conclusive or circumstantial evidence – but there was still the nagging doubt, the pit in her stomach.

Blake had argued with herself, knowing she couldn't just tell them; she couldn't just pull the bow from her head, and explain why she'd been hiding her true self – because no matter what, her team _would_ ask questions. It was in their nature.

While Blake had a sneaking suspicion her team _might_ know, PBRL's mentor, Doctor Oobleck, certainly did – and the way he'd been hinting he knew had been driving her mad.

There was no way being put up against the White Fang in so many of their simulations had been random chance. It was beginning to become a problem, but if their mentor wanted her to confess something, she could be just as stubborn: She refused to let it get the better of her, no matter how annoying it was.

Blake closed her eyes, taking a calming breath as she tried to relax, realizing it _was_ getting the better of her.

"What the?!"

Blake's eyes opened, the girl just barely avoiding running into Ruby, who'd stopped, looking down an adjoining street with wide eyes. She blinked, seeing what Ruby noticed: a store at the next intersection over, with broken windows and an abundance of police tape stretched over the openings.

Ruby stalked forwards without a word. Blake saw Pyrrha look back at her and Ren, before turning to watch her partner walk down the mostly empty street.

"Well?" Blake raised an eyebrow at her leader after a couple seconds, and the redhead shrugged in response, stepping forward to follow the younger girl.

Ruby made it to the crime scene well before anyone else. Blake was barely able to hear her ask the two men standing out front what happened.

"Sheesh, more kids?" One of the men commented, turning towards Ruby as the rest of PBRL fell in behind her. "It was a robbery, what does it look like to you?"

Blake blinked, taken aback by the officer's demeanor. She opened her mouth-

"I beg your pardon?"

To Blake's surprise, those words came from Pyrrha, the girl frowning at the man who'd spoken. The officer blinked rapidly, pulling the sunglasses from his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I... apologize for my partner's conduct, it's been a long day." The other man started, stepping forward. "We just had a perp run away from us not long ago, and he's not looking forward to telling the chief what happened."

"It's the second robbery this week where all that was stolen was Dust." The more irate detective noted. "We'd been assigned to this case nearly a month ago, after the first robbery like this – and they haven't stopped, nor slowed down."

"Is it that Torchwick guy?" The youngest member of PBRL spoke up, Blake noticing the girl's frown.

The detectives shared a glance. "The owner of this store didn't see him among the suspects – but considering he'd been involved in other robberies like this, it's likely."

"Who robbed them, then?" Blake pondered aloud.

"Four men, in Grimm masks. We're thinking White Fang."

Blake's breath hitched.

 _The White Fang_?

"You mean you don't know for sure?" Ren prodded.

"It doesn't add up." The one detective admitted, turning to his partner. "They wore the masks, but we didn't see any faunus traits."

Blake grimaced as one of her ears twitched. A quick glance around informed her no one noticed the movement.

"If it were the Fang, you'd think they'd have worn their full uniforms, but..."

Ruby turned towards Pyrrha, nodding to the side. Blake narrowed her eyes, watching as Ruby and Pyrrha walked away, Ren remaining with her as the shorter girl whispered something to her partner.

"Should I tell them?" The younger girl asked, thinking she was out of Blake's earshot. She actually had a hard time hearing her with the bow on. "It might help."

Pyrrha looked over towards them, before turning back to Ruby. "If you want to tell them, you can."

Ruby nodded rapidly, waving Ren and Blake over.

The faunus girl blinked, walking forwards with her partner beside her.

"So, there's something I haven't really told you guys yet. You both know how I'm in Beacon two years early?"

"First person in eight years." Ren commented, everyone turning to him. "I looked it up."

"Right..." The girl seemed hesitant. "I never told you how, though."

Blake crossed her arms. "You didn't, no."

"I was... I was involved in a robbery like this one. I fought Roman Torchwick and the guys who were with him."

"And you think this might have been him again, right?"

"Right." Ruby nodded firmly.

It was a possibility, Blake reasoned. The girl turned to the chatting detectives, thinking on their suggestion that it could have been the White Fang...

No.

It was Torchwick.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Blake asked of the whole team, but directing the question to Pyrrha, for the most part.

Ren and Ruby looked to their leader as well, the girl glancing between each of them. When Pyrrha met Blake's eyes, the faunus nodded slightly.

PBRL's leader turned. "What do you know about the other robberies?"

* * *

Jaune frowned, the elevator doors closing behind him. The moment they were shut, he pulled the black scroll from his pocket, opening the display. Considering the headmaster and Goodwitch were the only ones in charge of Beacon's security, he saw no issue with doing so, now that he was finally away from his team.

The blond typed a quick message to Ozpin, letting him know he was on his way up before thumbing the button for his office. He needed to talk to the man about his... charge.

Penny was back in their dorm right now, Jaune seeing no reason why she wouldn't be permitted to be there. Worst possible scenario would be having to have the student from Atlas bunk in their room for the night, and that wouldn't have been that much of an issue.

Jaune would just have to sleep on the floor. It would be fine.

The elevator slowed its ascent, and Jaune took a breath. It wasn't nerves, but there was always some kind of weird tension before the elevator door would open and he'd be able to step out into the headmaster's office.

He let the breath out when the door opened, and took a step into the office.

"Jaune." The man greeted, not turning to face him as he looked out the massive window. "Enjoying the weekend?"

"I suppose I am, yes." Jaune answered honestly. After picking up Penny from the airport, just wandering relatively aimlessly with his team and the Atlesian girl had been rather entertaining, in its own way.

"Always good to hear." The man turned, smiling. "You need something, I presume?"

Jaune nodded. "I was wondering if it would be possible to get a room for someone, here at Beacon? There's a foreign student who just arrived today for the Vytal Festival."

"If this is about Sun Wukong, it's already been taken care of." Ozpin stated, sitting in his chair and lacing his fingers together.

Jaune tilted his head. "Who?"

The headmaster blinked in response. "Ah... Cardin Winchester came in earlier today, asking the same thing for a student from Haven."

 _So Penny wasn't the only one to show up early_? "I see. Were you able to set up a room?"

"Beacon usually doesn't prepare the guest rooms until a week before the estimated arrival of students." Ozpin explained. "However, with initiation leaving so many of the regular dorms uninhabited, and the previously prepared rooms covered in a thin layer of dust, we put him up in one of those for the time being.

"Could you do the same for another student, then?"

"But of course." Ozpin replied. "Are they here right now, at Beacon?"

"She's in my team's dorm right now. Penny Polendina, from Atlas."

"Polendina, you say?" The man chuckled. "I suppose I'll have to fast-track her arrangements. We don't want the daughter of one of Atlas' brightest minds out in the cold, do we?"

 _I knew she was important_. When he'd read through Penny's file, it had indeed mentioned her father was an Atlesian scientist, but he hadn't looked any deeper. Ironwood _did_ say she was the daughter of a friend of his...

He wouldn't make the same mistake again, that was certain.

"You meeting her wasn't happenstance, was it?" The head professor of Beacon suggested, opening up his desk's terminal.

"General Ironwood asked me to pick her up from the airport, actually. Make sure she arrived safely and show her around. He... didn't tell me she didn't have a place to stay, or I would have been here sooner."

"Certainly something strange for James to overlook." The man typed away at the translucent terminal, Jaune seeing Penny's photo through the back, as well as the ones of the other members of her team. "I have assigned her and her team a room, for the duration their stay during the festival. She should be able to access it now, as soon as she gets the confirmation message on her scroll."

Jaune let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. That's one less thing I have to worry about."

The headmaster quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "One less thing?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Jaune stated truthfully. "I was just thinking about everything else I have to do, but it probably pales in comparison to what's required of you."

"You'd be surprised. Some days it's quiet... the rest of the time much less so." The man tented his fingers as the display before him faded away. "Was that everything?"

The blond nodded. "Yeah. If you weren't able to get a room for Penny, I was just going to ask about what the rules said about letting her stay in our room."

Ozpin smiled. "Did you forget this is my school, Jaune?"

He blinked. "No?"

"Whenever you need anything, my door is always open. Just keep that in mind."

"...I will." Jaune watched on as the man spun his chair around, facing the view outside. "If you'll excuse me."

The boy walked back to the elevator pressing the button. With a quiet whir, the doors slid open and he stepped inside, turning to look back into the headmaster's office as it closed. Jaune shook his head vigorously, pulling the black scroll from his pocket once more, as he contemplated whether he had enough time to call Ironwood or not.

The scroll was slid back into his pocket, and he reached for the other one, pressing the button for the lobby. He'd call Ironwood when he knew he'd be uninterrupted.

That meant he needed to find somewhere that he wouldn't be bothered – and he had just the place in mind.

As the blond strode out into the CCT's mostly empty lobby, he opened the scroll he didn't need to hide, flitting through his contact list.

He had other calls he needed to make, after all.

Now out in the cool evening air, the blond pressed the call button, bringing his scroll to his ear, prepared to be either greeted happily, or yelled at immediately.

"Jaune!"

"Hey Claire." The boy greeted, smiling at the sound of his sister's voice. "...Is everything okay? You sound like you're out of breath."

"Yeah, just out for a run." She stated, Jaune nodding along at that. "When was the last time you cleaned your ears?"

Jaune blinked, before blushing as he pulled the scroll away, looking at its display. "I swear I hit sound only."

"Apparently your scroll didn't get the message." She stated with a grin, her silver eyes smiling as Jaune saw her slow to a walk. "Anyways, how's Beacon? I haven't seen you since, what, Colors Day?"

"Yeah." Jaune answered. "Beacon's... well, Beacon. I mean, it's everything I'd heard from Mom and Dad and then some."

"I see, I see..."

"...How'd your exams go? The ones you'd been complaining about?" Jaune asked, feeling more eager to converse with his older sister.

"Aced them. Literally." Claire beamed proudly. "Green across the board."

Jaune almost stumbled at her claim. "Really? That's incredible."

His sister's smile grew. "Praise me more."

The boy rolled his eyes, smiling wryly. "I could never do what you do, not in a million years. You are a true genius, one whose accomplishments are built upon hours of hard work and studying, and probably one of the smartest people I know."

"Really?" Claire asked, clearly hopeful.

"Of course." Jaune smiled, his sister falling for the bait. "Well, maybe two of those things..."

He watched his sister deflate, with a small pout that was all too familiar.

"Actually... just one of those things." Jaune added, his sister's eyes narrowed as her lips pursed.

"At least my girlfriend didn't beat the shit out of me in front of thousands of people."

Jaune winced. "You've got me there. Wait, when did you hear about that?"

"Juncea called me earlier today gushing about you and Yang."

"...She did?"

"Well, our little brother _did_ finally get his first girlfriend."

Internally, he was panicking just a little bit. "Did she tell mom?"

"Nah, I don't think so. Why?"

"I was going to call mom here in a bit." Jaune mentioned, pushing his way inside Beacon's dorms as he made his way straight for the stairs, instead of towards his team's room. "I wanted to be the one to tell her, you know?"

"Considering you still haven't called her?"

Jaune's ears heated up at that. "Yeah..."

"Eh, I wouldn't worry. She shouldn't be too hard on you."

"I hope not."

"When you do tell her, don't be surprised if she starts badgering you about grandkids immediately."

Jaune smiled uncertainly. "You're not joking are you?"

"You were at Signal when Juncea first brought Rusty home. Be glad you were."

The boy cringed. "Yikes. I don't think I want to call her anymore."

"It'll just be worse if you put it off longer."

Jaune sighed, realizing she was right. The boy pushed open the door leading to the dorm's rooftop.

"Don't try to hide it from her either – she'll find out. She always finds out."

He tried to pretend the way he shivered and the prickling of his skin was from the chilly breeze that blew past him as he walked out. "You're not going to tell her, are you?"

"If I have to throw you under the bus to save myself, I will."

"Speaking of you..."

"Yeah, no. If I'm ever in a delivery room, I won't be the one in stirrups. Very subtle way of changing the topic, brother mine."

Jaune clicked his tongue. "Any points for trying?"

"Not a one." Claire denied, looking up from her scroll. "Tell you what: I'm going to finish my run here, then I'll message you later once I'm inside. Sound good?"

"Sure thing." Jaune nodded. "Later."

"Later."

Jaune slid the scroll closed, looking up at the moon as he dug into his other pocket.

 _One down, two to go_. _At least I'm saving the hardest for last._

He brought the black scroll to his ear after making certain General Ironwood wouldn't be seeing the depth of the cavity like Claire had. It rang once, before the man answered.

" _Corona, put any incoming calls on hold_." The blond heard, the General's voice slightly distant. The next the man spoke, it was much clearer. "Good evening Jaune, good to hear from you. I trust Penny made it safely?"

"Yeah, she did." Jaune confirmed. "Got her settled in here at Beacon, in the room her team will be using during the Vytal Festival."

"Good man, I knew I could count on you for this."

"It wasn't much." Jaune stated.

"Were there any complications?" The man asked.

"Not really, no." Jaune looked out over Beacon. "She gets along with my team pretty well, actually."

"Understood. Is that everything?"

"It is." Jaune confirmed. "I figured I'd just let you know now, even as late as it is, rather than making you call me when I wouldn't be able to answer immediately."

"I appreciate it – more than you know."

"That said, I'll let you go." Jaune offered, knowing the general was a busy man. "I'll give you another call if something important comes up."

"Thank you. Good night."

"Good night."

Jaune slid the scroll closed, realizing such a short conversation could have easily been handled in Beacon Tower's elevator.

The boy took a breath, ready for the one last call he needed to make before he headed back to his team's room for the night. It's not like he wasn't looking forward to talking with his mother, but...

The topics he wanted to discuss were what was making him a little nervous.

What did he start with? The more pressing matters, or casual conversation? His relationship with Yang, or...?

Jaune shook his head, realizing it would be better to get through the heavy stuff first. Scrolling through his contacts, he found his mother's number quickly enough, and started the call – this one, he made sure to set as a video call.

Alabaster Arc answered with a smile, but it wasn't a good smile – it was more like a 'why are you coming home two hours past curfew' kind of smile.

"Hi sweetie." Her smile didn't fade, but it didn't quite touch her words either. "It's good to hear from you."

"Hi mom."

"How's Beacon?"

"...Busy?" Jaune offered.

"I can imagine." The woman sighed, and Jaune finally relaxed a little. "I'm not mad at you; in fact, I _did_ expect this."

"Sorry." The boy apologized, knowing he was entirely at fault.

"It's alright. So seriously: How's Beacon?"

Jaune sighed, staring into his mother's eyes, not finding it hard to put a serious expression on his face. "Before I get to that... there's something – someone – I need to talk to you about."

"You finally found someone?"

"Yes, but that can wait for now as well."

His mother blinked rapidly, before she nodded resolutely, her lips pursed. "What is it?"

"There's a girl here at Beacon, in my class. She went to Signal too… Her name's Ruby Rose."


	33. Instigation

**Hey everyone, nothing new to say up here. Just another chapter, just for you!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Clever girl."_

* * *

"Ruby Rose, you say?"

Jaune nodded, his mother's eyes narrowing in response. After a moment, she sighed.

"Yeah..." Jaune breathed, realizing he needed to be very cautious with his words. He knew more than his mother thought he did – he knew about her eyes, he knew about Qrow, Ozpin, Ironwood, and the others...

He'd only learned the woman named Summer Rose had been his aunt from Ozpin himself not long ago, after all: His mother had never told him her name – though he hadn't really asked – and it hadn't been written anywhere in her journal.

If his mother found out what he was doing - if she realized from whom he learned of his aunt and why – he wasn't sure how she'd react, aside from poorly.

"She shouldn't be old enough to be at Beacon."

"She told me she got bumped ahead because she stopped a robbery, or something. Professor Ozpin made an exception for her, after seeing how skilled she was."

"Oh?" His mother couldn't hide her frown, and Jaune felt a little guilty for the half-truth.

Jaune did, after all, hear the story from Ruby first, but he also knew she'd really been moved ahead because of her eyes. It was likely his mother was thinking along the same lines, if mentioning Ozpin's involvement was what caused her frown.

"The two of you are friends, then?"

The boy blinked, the question catching him off guard. "Yeah, I knew her and her sister from back at Signal."

"Her sister? Ah, right. I remember Yang."

Jaune tilted his head in confusion, before he remembered the night of their Signal graduation ceremony.

"Yang's the one, isn't she."

"What?" The boy's ears grew hot, realizing what his mother was implying. "Yeah, but that's-"

"I _knew_ it!" Jaune's mother exclaimed, a pleased smile on her face. "I knew it the moment I laid my eyes on the two of you together."

"Mom..." Jaune whined, but his one-worded plea fell on deaf ears.

"Don't even think about having kids until after you're out of Beacon. I swear, if I'm stuck looking afte-"

"Mom!"

Claire wasn't kidding.

"Is she there? Can I talk to her?" His mother's smile was bright, and full of energy.

"She's back in the dorm room. I'll-" An idea popped into Jaune's head. "Actually, next weekend, my team and I will probably go down to Vale for some reason or another. I'll see about getting Ruby to come too, and then you can meet all of them."

"That'd be wonderful." She beamed. "Let me know when and how many – however many – and I'll make sure we're ready for them."

Jaune let out a soft chuckle, nodding in response. It was just like her mother to agree to something so easily. "It'll be anywhere between five and eight people, but I'll be certain to let you know. Are you sure it won't be too much for you?"

"I've cooked for you, your sisters, and your father for over twenty years. I'm sure I can get Juncea on it too, so don't worry about that."

"Oh! I forgot to ask!" Jaune spoke up quickly, the mention of his sisters reminding him. "Have you heard from Lily?"

"Of course we have." She smiled sinisterly. "Unlike her brother, she called the very first day."

Jaune coughed, hiding his shame. "Right..."

"She's doing fine there, from what she said. Settling in nicely, though she was nervous about a few things." His mother explained, before pausing. "...Well, I suppose if you'll be over in a week, we'll have lots of time to talk then. I don't want to keep you from your team."

The blond waved that off with a smile. "Oh, no, they don't mind, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to introducing them to you later."

"Well, send me a message when you know who all will be coming, okay?"

Jaune nodded his agreement. "Will do. Bye mom."

"Bye sweetie. Oh, say hi to Peter for me?"

"Peter?" Jaune blinked. "You don't mean..."

"Peter Port? I think he's a full-fledged professor there now. He was a teacher's aide when I was at Beacon. He got along pretty well with... Ah, you know what? Maybe I'll stop by there one day in the future, so don't bother."

"Uh... okay?"

"Anyways, don't forget to let me know when you're coming. Bye!~"

The scroll's display transitioned back to Jaune's home screen, and he slid it shut with a sigh.

"Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as I'd thought it'd be." He said to himself, sliding his scroll back into the right pocket. "I hope nobody's angry I made plans for them."

The boy pushed his way back through the rooftop access, quickly descending the stairs down to the third floor. Just as he was about to head down the next flight, he looked down the hall, seeing a tall boy dressed in somewhat familiar armor leaving a room with a wave.

"Hey Cardin." Jaune called out as the boy approached, remembering what Ozpin said about the boy's team meeting another foreign student.

"Hey." He greeted back, stopping right before the stairs.

Jaune hadn't really had much of an opportunity to talk with his fellow leader since they were put on teams, aside from a few exchanged words here or there. Cardin and his team mostly kept to themselves, which was odd, considering the few encounters before class had painted the taller boy as a much more outspoken individual.

JWYN hadn't lost against any of CRDL's members in combat class, so Jaune had figured for the longest time it had something to do with that, but apparently they weren't very social with anyone else either. They always seemed very lax, but they weren't necessarily slackers.

Maybe it had something to do with their mentor being Professor Port.

"How're you doing?" Jaune offered, trying to spark some kind of conversation with the boy.

"Not bad, spent some time in Vale with my team. You?"

"Same. Almost the entire day down there."

"Same." Was Cardin's reply, the boy moving to walk down the stairs.

Jaune joined him with an awkward smile. "So, how's Port as a mentor?"

"I'm not supposed to talk about it."

Jaune blinked. "Sorry?"

"I..." Cardin yawned. "Master asked us not to share the details of our training. If I told you, you'd understand, but-"

 _Master_? Jaune nodded his understanding. "You can't tell me. Got it."

The boy felt a pang of guilt, realizing he could probably just ask Ozpin, or see if there was anything on his black scroll, but he dismissed that thought as quickly as it came.

"What about your training with Goodwitch, if you don't mind me asking?"

The blond shrugged. "Not much to say, really. We made some decent progress recently, but... it's hard to explain."

"I see..." Jaune watched out of the corner of his eye, seeing Cardin pull out his scroll. The moment the screen flared to life, the boy stopped in the middle of the stairway. "I need to go."

The most urgently Jaune had seen the boy move, he jumped down the rest of the stairs, ducking around the corner. Jaune hit the main floor a few moments later, seeing the exit doors of the dorm building slowly swing closed. The boy shrugged, turning to walk down the hall.

"Just another mystery, I guess..."

* * *

Yang Xiao Long let out a lengthy breath from where she lay, glancing towards the entrance of their dorm. Jaune had left to go discuss sleeping arrangements for their Atlesian guest with Headmaster Ozpin too long ago for her liking, and Yang was starting to get impatient.

There were many possibilities, many scenarios Yang had to be prepared for: Penny could end up with her own room, or she would have to stay with Yang and the rest of JWYN. Hell, she might not be allowed to stay at Beacon at all, and they'd have to find her accommodations down in Vale proper.

Both the best and worst case scenario Yang had been able to think up would have been Penny staying in JWYN's dorm: It was the worst in the sense that she could be staying with them from anywhere between three days and an entire month, but it was the best in that it gave Yang... an opportunity.

 _If she has to stay here with us, I can offer her my bed_. Yang brought her hands to her cheeks, the soft skin there warm to her own touch. _Then, Jaune will offer me his bed, saying he'll sleep on the floor. But I won't let him. "Oh, that's okay, we can share."_

Yang felt her lips pull into a smile, and she sighed contently, propping herself up on her elbows. She looked around the room, her eyes initially settling on Jaune's bed, before she looked to the other three girls in the room. Penny and Nora were chatting excitedly, while Weiss looked like she'd rather be somewhere else – though Yang knew she really didn't mind.

Weiss' eyes met her own, and Yang gave her a wave, still smiling. The elegant girl – who was occasionally anything but – said something to Nora quickly, before she walked over.

"What are you grinning about, over here in your corner?" Weiss accused, though she had a light smile herself as she sat at the end of Yang's bed. "You're not reading, and Jaune's not here."

"Are those the only things that make me happy?" Yang countered, sitting up. She couldn't possibly admit the white haired girl had been spot-on. She'd never hear the end of it. "I was just thinking the three of you seem to be getting along rather well."

"She's..." Weiss looked over to Nora and Penny – the former laughing boisterously at something the other girl said. "Odd, that's for certain. But she's easier to get along with than I initially thought."

"Like me?" Yang asked teasingly.

"Ten times easier than you."

"Ah, you wound me." Yang fell back, putting a hand over her heart. "I don't know how I'll continue on, knowing I'm a difficult person for you to deal with."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, and Yang snickered. The blonde sat up fully, swinging her legs over the side of her bed.

"You're not _that_ difficult." Weiss said after a moment.

"Hey, I'm not Jaune; I can tell when you're teasing." Yang claimed.

"I know. I just... felt like I needed to say it."

Yang tilted her head, grinning. "Oh...?"

Weiss blinked in response, and Yang continued to stare her down until a blush grew on the girl's cheeks. "Wh-what?"

"Nothing." Yang's smile grew. "You're just really cute when you're honest."

The white haired girl's face was bright red as she stood. "Y-you...! Ugh, you're insufferable." Weiss turned, stomping over to the closest of the two bathrooms – the one Yang shared with Jaune – and closed the door with a slam.

Yang laughed loudly enough she was certain Weiss was able to hear it. The heiress really did just make it too easy.

There was a familiar click, and Yang turned to the dorm's opening entrance. Jaune stepped in, and the three girls still in the room turned to him.

"Heya." Nora greeted. "How'd it go? Is Penny staying with us?"

Yang wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not when Jaune shook his head. "No, she has her own room here in the dorms now. It's the same one her team will be using during the Vytal Festival, so the headmaster figured it was fine to just give her access to it now." The boy pulled out his scroll, looking at it. "In fact, it's just down the hall."

"Which room number is it?" Nora asked, standing. "I'll walk her over there."

"One-one-three."

"Okay, let's go get you settled in." The energetic girl suggested as she skipped over to the door, the Atlesian girl dragging her suitcase behind her.

Penny stopped, giving Jaune a light bow. "Thank you for making the arrangements, sir. I should have mentioned something sooner."

Yang grinned as she watched Jaune react to the girl's statement. The slight red tinge of embarrassment on his cheeks, the way he scratched at the back of his head... it was all very _Jaune_.

"Nah, it's fine. I've dealt with bigger problems before." The boy stated, Yang not missing the way he glanced over at her.

"Hey!" Yang pouted.

Penny left the room with a smile and another bow, before Jaune closed the door behind her, turning to Yang. "Where's Weiss?"

Yang jerked her thumb towards the bathroom door that the girl had slammed moments ago, and Jaune chuckled, sitting on his bed.

"You were gone for quite some time, considering you were just supposed to go to the headmaster's office." Yang accused.

"I called my mom, and kinda... _sorta_... said we'd stop by next weekend?"

"We?" Yang prodded.

"Me, you, Weiss, Nora... Ruby _..._ probably her team now that I think about it..."

Yang just stared at the boy. "Really?"

"Well, when I first thought of it, I was just thinking you and me, but then figured Ruby might want to meet her aunt. And then I figured, maybe she'd want to meet our teammates, and Ruby probably wants to spend time with _her_ team, and-"

The blonde girl sighed loudly, cutting Jaune off. "I get it, I get it... Want me to ask Ruby for you?"

"Uh, sure. I mean, I guess...?"

Yang stood, shaking her head, walking over to sit next to Jaune. She rested her head against his shoulder. She yawned, and the boy yawned shortly after. "Long day, hey?"

"Yeah, it was."

* * *

Ruby blinked the last bit of tiredness from her eyes, scanning the screen quickly before she clicked on the next photo. She looked it over, then clicked on the next. Closing the website, she turned to the window that framed the rising sun, letting out a sigh.

She was glad they were doing this – but that didn't make the investigating any less boring. If they'd actually found something, maybe it wouldn't be, but...

"Did you find anything?"

The young girl turned to Pyrrha, her leader having just moved to stand behind her. "Nothing we didn't already know." Ruby said. "Torchwick was behind all of these robberies, and he's not doing it alone, because the witnesses from the places he robbed personally say he was there with other people. There are places he didn't even show up at all, but... we don't know who he's working with."

Pyrrha hummed. "Surely there was security footage or something... Blake?"

"See, that's something VPD didn't tell us." The black haired girl started, sitting a couple terminals over from Ruby. "Dust wasn't the _only_ thing missing – every store that was robbed had their security footage tampered with."

"How?" Pyrrha asked.

"They don't know, but apparently someone thought it would be funny to replace the footage with the music video of the _Achieve Men_ 's new hit single."

Ruby snorted. "That is kinda funny..." Blake crossed her arms, both her and Pyrrha shaking their heads. "What?"

"I guess it can't be helped." Pyrrha noted. "Unless Ren found something, we'll have to think of something else."

Ruby hummed in thought. She was sure Torchwick was also behind the robberies he hadn't shown up at as well – almost one hundred percent certain. She didn't know why she was so certain... just that she knew it was him.

Something about this all rubbed her the wrong way.

"Maybe we can go ask Doctor Oobleck about it?" Ruby offered. "He might know something, right?"

"At this point we know more about these robberies than he does." Blake countered, before she nodded away from the group. "Ren's back."

Pyrrha and Ruby turned towards the boy as he approached the desks they were sitting at. He didn't speak, but simply shook his head, causing everyone else to sigh.

"...Let's head back into Vale again today." Pyrrha suggested after a moment. "The four of us could split into twos, and check the other stores that were robbed."

"That's a good idea." Ren spoke up, Ruby turning towards him. "Some of these stores were robbed weeks ago. It's possible we could ask the people who work there."

"What do the two of you think?" Pyrrha's question was directed to Blake and Ruby. Ruby simply shrugged, not having any complaints.

"Fine with me." Blake agreed. "We should probably plan this out then."

"Oh!" Ruby started, turning back to the terminal she was using. "I'll bring up a map of Vale, and we can divide it up between us."

"I made a list of all the stores that were robbed." Pyrrha mentioned, putting the piece of paper before Ruby. "If we check which ones are already back in business, we wouldn't have to do as much looking around."

"Good call."

Ruby grinned, bringing up the map.

She was starting to get excited.

* * *

Weiss couldn't help but crack a smile as Jaune's head hit the cafeteria table, the boy groaning in exasperation.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Nora shouted.

Yang leaned a little closer to Jaune, shaking his shoulder. "Hey, hey... you _literally_ brought this on yourself. You know that, right?"

The boy turned his head, still resting lightly against the table, and sighed. "Yeah, I know. Trust me, I know..."

"Surely it can't be that bad, can it?" Weiss offered, but Jaune just stared up at her like a dead fish, the boy's chin supporting the rest of his head.

"I have two younger sisters that'll almost certainly be home when we get there."

"And?"

"Two young, very impressionable sisters I don't want developing an obsession with explosions and breaking things at such a tender age."

Weiss felt her eyes go wide. "Oh, that is bad."

"See?" Jaune gestured wildly with his arms. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Come on, I'm not that bad." Nora attempted to assure. "...Am I? Weiss?"

The heiress turned to her partner. "You're asking me?" Nora nodded quickly in response. "...Well, Jaune's exaggerating, but you are a little... wild... from time to time."

Nora seemed to look off into the distance, and began muttering to herself. Weiss leaned closer to her partner, only managing to catch something about Ren.

"Anyways, us going and seeing my family next weekend aside, there was something else I wanted to talk to you guys about today."

Weiss turned back to Jaune, and Nora stopped her rambling. From Yang's reaction, it was the first she'd heard about this too. "What is it?"

"Our weapons and ammo." He looked pointedly at Weiss. "Dust included."

"Okay?"

"First." Jaune sat up straight, looking among their team's members. "We need to talk about our weapons. What we have is good... no, great – in some cases, nice and simple, and in others, complex – but as we go through our time here at Beacon, we'll be growing and changing in ways our weapons can't."

"I think I know where you're going with this." Yang noted, both Weiss and Nora nodding along.

"I'm not suggesting we change much, but if any of you have any ideas of things you can do with your weapons to make them better, I can sketch a couple things up." Jaune offered. "We're good – hell, we may be the best first year's Beacon's had in awhile – but unless we really push ourselves to change, we'll just keep getting slaughtered by Goodwitch. We'll never really... exceed expectations like we should."

Weiss hummed, rubbing at her side. She'd – embarrassingly enough - been injured during their last training session with their mentor. "You've given this some thought, haven't you?"

The boy nodded. "They don't have to be drastic changes. In fact, I'm not expecting anything right now from any of you. We have _four whole years_ , and even some time after. We're not going to stop getting better the moment we leave Beacon."

The heiress blinked as what Jaune said registered. They still had four years at Beacon – closer to three and a half, but still... It was a long time.

"I was thinking we could do something a little more immediate." Jaune placed one of his bullets upright on the table. "And effective."

Right next to it, Jaune placed what looked to be one of Yang's shotgun shells, only the jacket was a bright yellow color. Next to that – with a little more physical effort – a grenade that looked like it could have been Nora's, except-

"It's green." Nora pointed out. The heart shape on the... _front..._ of the grenade was a bright green, as opposed to the natural pink.

"I figured neither of you would mind if I made something for you to try." Jaune said. Yang picked up the shell Jaune put on the table, inspecting it. Nora reached across for the grenade as well. "We can test them out at the range, and if you like them, I can see about making more of them – though they're definitely something that would need to be used sparingly."

"So that's why you wanted an empty shell of mine..." Yang noted, and Nora nodded along, probably having given Jaune whatever he needed to make one of her grenades.

"Nora, can I see yours?" Weiss asked politely, and her partner handed it to her gently. The moment it was in Weiss' hands, she nearly dropped it, surprised by the weight. She brought it to her eyes, though she didn't dare crack it open. "Wind Dust?"

"It's a little more complicated than that." Jaune stated. "I'll wait until we're out at the range, before I really explain it, but I need to talk to you about your rapier first, Weiss."

Weiss passed Nora the explosive Jaune made for her, before she tented her fingers before her. She wouldn't really admit it, but having something even close to the destructive nature of Jaune's rounds actually made her a little excited. "Yes?"

"You fill Myrtenaster's chambers with ground Dust, right?" The question was rhetorical – there was no way Jaune hadn't known that, so Weiss didn't answer with anything but a nod. "Why don't you use crystals instead?"

"The vibrations sent down the blade of Myrtenaster put strain on the crystals, causing them to crack, eventually breaking." Weiss explained, Jaune nodding along. "The ground Dust makes it easier to refill, though my options when using it are a little more limited."

Weiss frowned lightly. "There's also that ground Dust is a little more cost-effective than its cut counterpart."

Nora leaned forwards. "But you're rich."

"My family is, yes." Weiss pointed out. "But we didn't become rich by spending our money carelessly."

 _Though, those statues in the hall back home probably cost quite a fair bit..._

"In that case, I'll see if I can think of something." Jaune offered. "But, just for today..."

The blonde placed a small, cloth pouch on the table, and Weiss reached for it. Pulling the pouch open, Weiss reached inside, feeling the soft, curved surface of a crystal, and pulling it out.

Just by feeling its shape, Weiss could tell Jaune had put an immense amount of work into the piece. The curve along the outside, and the angles at which it were cut were evidence enough of that.

It looked like it would fit perfectly into Myrtenaster.

Weiss took a closer look at the colors. "Shock and... Burn?" The heiress had to admit she was confused. "Shock and Burn are supposed to combine normally, making Energy Dust."

"What?" Nora asked in interest – or maybe even feigning it.

"Energy Dust." Weiss said again. "It's mostly synthetically made, though it occurs enough naturally it doesn't have to be. It's what powers our cars and factories." Weiss looked back to the crystal in her hand. "But this isn't Energy Dust, it's..."

"I had no better name for it, so I call it Corrosion Dust." Jaune claimed. "It has a higher concentration of Burn Dust than Shock, so it has different properties."

"But it shouldn't be able to combine like this." Weiss said. "...How do you do this? You could make a fortune off of the things you make."

"I have my theories." The blonde admitted, smiling. "Sometimes it _doesn't_ work, but I don't know why yet."

Weiss didn't bother responding, studying the ripples of red and yellow in the crystal, the areas between them a deep black.

"So!" Jaune started. "Who wants to get testing?"

* * *

Pyrrha stretched her arms high above her head, looking up at the clouds above. They were heavy looking, as if it would start raining heavily at any moment, but they didn't let it happen.

That would be all they'd need today, was for it to start raining.

"I mean, I don't know... is it normal for someone to quit working at a place that had just been robbed?"

The redhead turned towards her partner, Ruby likely talking about the Dust shop they'd just visited.

"I don't think I would." Ruby claimed.

"No?"

"Well, I guess it's different for us though. If we get robbed, we just beat up whoever it was who robbed us, right?"

Pyrrha snickered at Ruby's simplistic thinking. "You're right about that."

"Though it does depend on the situation." Ruby continued, eager to chat. "How many there are, how well trained they are, nearby civilians that might get involved..."

The leader of PBRL smiled proudly. "You remember our early simulations?"

"Of course I do. Why?"

"Think about what you just said." Pyrrha offered. "You never considered any of that stuff back then, when we first started."

Ruby looked puzzled, before it appeared to finally click in the girl's head. "Ah, I see what you're saying."

Pyrrha smiled again. "You've learned a lot."

"So I have." Ruby smiled back.

Both girls continued walking, on the way to their next destination: just another one of the Dust shops that had been a victim of the string of robberies Roman Torchwick had committed in the last two months.

After the digging they'd done, Ruby and Pyrrha had come to the conclusion that absolutely every robbery involved Torchwick. While before it had just been PBRL's speculation the career criminal had been involved, they now knew for sure.

The only real mystery now were his accomplices. The descriptions Ruby and Pyrrha had been given varied. Some described men that were members of an infamous gang that had roots in downtown Vale – the same gang whose members Ruby had fought when she first encountered Torchwick – and some said the robbers were wearing Grimm masks. Some even wore brown paper bags with eye holes cut out.

But regardless of them getting closer to finding out the truth, Pyrrha realized they weren't really able to do anything with the information. Sure, they'd all agreed to do this investigating, but what it could possibly lead to, she didn't know.

There was nothing they could do aside from walk around and ask questions.

Pyrrha looked down to Ruby, the younger girl smiling lightly as she hummed a tune while she walked. She considered asking her partner what to do, but realized she probably didn't know either, and was just following Pyrrha's directions.

The redhead sighed as the deafening roar of a Bullhead's engines passing overhead.

"Jeez, they're flying awfully low, aren't they?" Ruby asked, looking in the direction the jets went.

Pyrrha turned, watching the Bullheads disappear over the tops of the buildings behind them. The airships had been rather low, that was true.

"Yeah, you're right." Pyrrha turned to continue walking, but stopped as Ruby tugged on her arm. The redhead turned to face her partner, but Ruby was still looking in the direction the bullheads had flown. "What is it?"

"They were flying _way_ too low." Ruby cautioned. "Civilian aircraft are supposed to maintain a clearance height of at least seven hundred feet – unless they're landing – and not exceed seventy miles per hour above populated areas.

Pyrrha blinked. "What?"

"I... I've always wanted to fly a Bullhead." Ruby blushed. "It's the rule of sevens; seven hundred feet, seventy miles per hour. If they were breaking those rules, then-"

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah." Ruby nodded seriously.

"Well then, let's go."

* * *

Ren sighed, taking cover behind an air conditioning unit that rested on the roof of a building, peering over it into the yard below.

"Looks like a robbery to me." Ren commented, able see the masked men pushing a crate marked with the SDC up into one of the bullheads that had landed in the open space. "Who are these people?"

Blake didn't answer immediately, forcing Ren to turn and see that she was, indeed, still there.

"The White Fang." She stated with certainty, before Ren could ask again.

"The White Fang?" Ren repeated. He looked back out, recognizing the emblem on the back of one of the member's jackets. "That's... not good."

Blake remained silent, and Ren turned to look at her. His partner was frowning, and she looked obviously concerned.

"Why did it have to be them? Why are they doing this?"

"What?" Ren replied, not sure what the girl was talking about. He quickly shook his head. This wasn't the time for indecision. "Blake, what do we do?"

"Sheesh, what's the hold up?"

Ren ducked back behind the air conditioning unit at the man's voice, but Blake didn't move an inch. The boy peered out again, seeing a man in a bright white suit walk out from behind a cargo container.

Roman Torchwick.

Looking down at his closed scroll, Ren shook his head. If he could get some footage, take it to the headmaster – or even send it to the VPD, they would have something to work with. His scroll wouldn't put off enough light that it was immediately noticeable, but he had to be cautious all the same.

Just as the boy was about to pull the two halves of the device apart, Blake grabbed for his wrist, and he looked up to her. The boy could barely hear Roman Torchwick talking over the soft whirring of a fan and his own breath.

The girl was close, and her amber eyes were staring right into his. "Get ready."

"What?" Ren asked in a harsh whisper. "What do you mean, get ready? You're not going out there, are you?"

Blake's eyes narrowed, before she shook her head. "We're going out there."

" _What_? I-"

"Ren." The girl spoke quickly – and Ren swore it was loud enough anyone below could hear as well. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then stay up here, and get ready." His partner stood, her hand wrapping around the grip of her weapon. "I'll be counting on you."

Blake hopped off the building, in the direction of some of the shipping crates, and Ren could only sigh and shake his head.

He wasn't even sure who could be more confusing: his own partner, or Nora.

The boy remained pressed up against his cover, peering into the shadows around the containers waiting for Blake's signal – whatever it was. He slipped his scroll back into his pocket, as he wouldn't even be able to record anything while still keeping an eye out for his partner.

He flicked his wrists, and his hands wrapped around the grips of his weapons. The boy took a deep breath, calming himself in preparation. His eyes darted from cover to cover, waiting for Blake's move.

"Brothers and sisters of the White Fang!"

 _Blake_?! Ren looked towards where the girl's voice came from, seeing that his partner currently had the edge of her blade pressed to Roman Torchwick's throat.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Ren muttered, running along the roof to get himself in a better position. Everyone's eyes were on Blake, so he didn't even bother trying to remain hidden. "Brothers and sisters of the White Fang? That would never... work..."

Ren blinked, seeing for the first time Blake wasn't wearing her ribbon atop her head, but the same black outline remained.

 _Ears_? _She's a faunus_?

There was an explosion at Blake's feet, and Ren's legs tensed, ready to move – he knew Blake's Aura could take more than that. He looked down at the members of the White Fang, and prepared to jump them, but they didn't move either, seeming to hesitate.

The smoke cleared, and Blake could clearly be seen fighting the suit-wearing criminal, the rapid clanging noises of metal hitting metal resounding. Ren hopped over to a stack of shipping containers, trying to keep an eye on both Blake and Torchwick, and the White Fang – the latter attempting to box Blake in.

"Well, here goes nothing." Ren reserved, before he jumped off the crate, spinning as he fired. He landed in a crouch, his back to Blake's as the girl continued to trade blows with Torchwick. He'd only hit a couple of the terrorists with the wild firing, but it served its purpose in distracting them.

The boy dashed forward, and began fighting. He lashed out at anything that came close, shooting, slashing, and striking. His opponents didn't seem to have any real training, attacking carelessly, but relentlessly.

He responded in kind, sweeping the legs out from beneath one of the terrorists before driving his palm into the man's chest, the ground cracking beneath him at the impact. He turned away, knowing the man wouldn't be getting back up right away, and squeezed a burst of rounds towards one of the other combatants. With a kick he pushed another away, using the momentum from the strike to throw yet another assailant who'd approached him from behind.

There was a brief lull in the fighting, as the White Fang regrouped. Four of the terrorists, all armed with a variety of weapons, started charging Ren, before one was shot in the back, falling to the ground.

Ren and the White Fang who had been charging him looked towards where the shot had come from, seeing another member of the White Fang with a smoking barrel.

"I-I didn't do that! I was trying to shoot hi-"

A bronze shield came down on the back of the man's head with a clang, and Ren met the emerald eyes of the girl who held it. With a nod, Pyrrha rushed towards the men who'd been about to charge him, and Ren dashed forward to assist her.

The three men who'd been caught between them didn't stand a chance.

"The White Fang?" Pyrrha asked as the last one of them hit the ground, her spear shifting into rifle form as she took a few shots at a man who'd fled to cover.

"Yeah, Torchwick too." Ren replied quickly, reloading. A bullhead hovered a distance away, White Fang reinforcements jumping out of the cargo doors. From behind one of the containers placed around the yard, Blake was sent flying, skidding along the ground for a moment before she rose to her feet. She dove to the side, rolling as the ground where she'd just stood exploded in a shower of broken concrete.

"Help her," Pyrrha ordered, "I'll keep them off of you."

Ren nodded before running forwards, firing a burst of shots towards the corner Torchwick was about to round, the man retreating back behind the container.

The boy reached Blake's side quickly, helping her stand. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Blake answered, but Ren's eyes went up to the top of her head, where the two black ears sat. Blake seemed to notice. "This isn't the time to be talking."

Ren pushed Blake away, the girl making a startled sound as he jumped back as well, the ground where they'd stood splintering as Torchwick shot at them. Dashing forward, Ren fired in bursts, the suited man deflecting them with a couple spins of his cane.

Having closed the distance, Ren sent a kick into the man's chest, but he blocked it by crossing his cane in front of him. Ren kicked off the block, shooting at the man as he flew back.

Letting the magazines drop from his weapons, Ren retreated to reload. When the criminal attempted to pursue, Blake stepped in, the man blocking both of her blades with the length of his cane. Ren took a moment to look over at Pyrrha.

One of the White Fang was actually putting up a valiant effort, managing to block successive strikes from someone who was likely the best fighter of their generation.

Then Ren noticed one of the White Fang behind Pyrrha rise to her feet, a blade in hand. Ren brought one of StormFlower up so the sights rested on the man's back, but before he could even pull the trigger, the man spasmed wildly as he flew a couple feet to the side, collapsing once more.

* * *

Ruby sighed as she pulled back on the bolt, ejecting the spent casing. A gust of wind blew her cloak to the side, and she shivered, taking a moment to pull it back over to cover her legs.

" _No Ruby, it's likely at that distance the shot would miss – or worse – fatally injure a civilian or someone else you are trying to protect_." Ruby quoted, voice thick with sarcasm. The girl giggled. "Sure thing, Doctor Oobleck."

The girl slammed the bolt forward, chambering another round. Crescent Rose's crosshairs hovered over the guy Pyrrha was fighting for just a moment, before she scanned the area around her for anyone else that might try to sneak up on her partner. Finding no one, she moved the crosshairs over the white suited man Ren had moved to re-engage in place of Blake.

 _Torchwick_.

Ruby pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Hah!" Ren kicked his leg out at the criminal's chest, the older man deflecting the strike with his cane. Frowning, Ren spun around, bringing his other leg up. Torchwick blocked that one too, and before Ren could react, the man shoved him back and leveled his weapon.

The cane was torn from his grip, accompanied by a loud ping. Ren blinked.

Roman Torchwick turned in the direction the shot had come from, looking at the tall building Ren realized Ruby had taken position in. The man clicked his tongue. "Damn kids."

Just as Ren was about to run forward, Blake came in from the side, and put her hand in front of him, keeping him from doing so.

"What's wrong?" He asked instantly.

"Take cover. _Now_!"

Ren didn't question her suggestion, instead following the girl as she ran into the maze of cargo containers. Not a second later, the boy heard it: the roar of a Bullhead's engines, and the concrete where they'd just been standing was chewed up by its cannons.

The boy peeked out from behind the crate, seeing Torchwick running away with his cane once more in hand.

"He's getting away." Ren remarked, but he'd stuck his head out too long, as the Bullhead's cannons started firing again, the shots hitting the container they'd been hiding behind, with one or two going past.

Ren tensed up. " _Move_!"

"What?" Blake asked, but they had little to no time. Ren grabbed the girl by her wrist and began running, knowing she'd get the right idea.

They managed to make it halfway past the second container before the one they'd just been taking cover behind started exploding. It wasn't the massive detonation Ren had been expecting, but reaction after reaction occurred, sending lightning coursing through the sky. Ice crystals forming and then melting spontaneously as waves of differing temperatures hit the boy's back.

He didn't want to know what it'd have felt like to be in the middle of that.

Beyond the smoke, steam, and whatever else, Ren could see the bullhead attempting to follow them. The very front of the airship stared him down, and Ren came to a simple conclusion:

"We need to get away from these containers." Ren said, turning to Blake, but only to find no one. Instead, the boy saw a length of ribbon trailing down from above, and followed it, to see Blake climbing up the containers. "...That's the opposite of _away_."

When Blake disappeared from view, he heard her firing her gun, the bullets impacting harmlessly against the Bullhead's cockpit. The nose of the airship turned towards her, and Ren saw its cannons begin to fire once again.

 _She's trying to draw its attention. But why_?

Ren ran forward, into the open area where he and Blake had just been fighting Torchwick. The boy looked for the criminal, but couldn't see him anywhere. Turning his attention to the Bullhead, Ren saw the airship firing wildly as it tried to hit Blake. Instead, rounds struck the cargo containers, and Ren feared they'd have a repeat of the first container, except no explosions happened.

Looking back and forth, Ren searched for something – _anything –_ they could use against the Bullhead, but there was nothing.

"Get out of there!" The boy heard, turning to see Pyrrha calling out to him from across the yard.

The boy looked up, and finally, it all clicked. He began running, his legs pumping beneath him as he tried to make his way to Pyrrha, the girl's arms raised in the air with an expression of extreme focus. He turned, seeing the Bullhead being pulled towards them slowly but steadily.

Blake jumped from one of the cargo containers, using her weapon to hook herself onto the underside of the Bullhead, swinging beneath before beginning to run over to where Ren and Pyrrha stood.

The Bullhead began to turn, and it lurched, no longer resisting Pyrrha's pull. It sped up too quickly, and began to descend towards the ground. Ren saw the engines flare up as it tried to fight for altitude, but it lost the moment its belly started to scrape along the ground.

Ren looked above where he'd stood not too long ago, seeing the cargo container hanging there swaying lightly.

The cable seemed to snap for no reason – though Ren knew better – and the container fell right in the Bullhead's path.

A second passed before the Bullhead collided with the container, only _this_ one exploded spontaneously, engulfing the airship in a massive reaction that was harsh on the eyes.

Pyrrha's arms dropped, the girl panting. "Remind me to say no... if Ruby ever challenges me to target shooting."

"Yeah..." Ren agreed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He looked around, seeing a few unconcious White Fang scattered about, but no immediate threats. "Where's Torchwick?"

"The damn bastard got away." Blake sighed in obvious frustration. "I saw him get on another Bullhead. He's long gone by now."

Ren glanced up at the ears atop the girl's head before he nodded. "I see."

"If you don't mind me asking..." Pyrrha started, still seeming out of breath. "What the hell happened before I got here? And what's with the...?" The girl gestured uselessly at Blake's head.

"I'll..." The ears atop Blake's head twitched, and the sound of police sirens hit Ren's own. "I suppose we're going to be doing a lot of talking, aren't we?"

* * *

Jaune sighed, stretching in his seat. He looked down at the sketch, before he scoffed, crumpling it. Usually, he kept everything he drew or designed, in case it would be a good reference if he attempted something similar, but in this case, his idea had been plain stupid.

The testing of ammunition at the firing range earlier in the day had gone perfectly, or at least, perfect in the sense that everything worked right. The grenade he made for Nora worked exactly as it intended, and some of the things Weiss could do with the crystal he made for her were... interesting, but not outside of his expectations.

Yang's shotgun shell had worked properly as well, the only issue being that Jaune now owed Yang a new pair of gloves.

The boy pushed the seat back, looking over to where Yang was laying, reading another volume of Ninjas of Love. The girl was now ahead of him in the series, and that frustrated Jaune a fair bit, as he still had a lot of catching up to do. Nora was giving Penny a tour of Beacon, as the girl had – apparently – promised to do so, and Weiss was currently having a shower in her and Nora's bathroom.

Jaune nodded. A shower sounded good.

"I'm going to take a shower." He called over, quickly closing the door behind him. The boy moved to take his scrolls out of his pockets, and the moment his hand settled on the black one he kept on the left, it vibrated.

The blond closed his eyes and sighed. It hadn't vibrated again, which meant it was just a message.

Opening the scroll, Jaune frowned.

"Queen has pawns?"

 _What the hell does that mean_?


	34. Unusual

**Hey, sorry for the lateness of this one. Took too long to get to Knight.**

 **Kinda funny that I'm somehow making the deadline today, considering it's no longer guaranteed. For those of you who don't read _Just a Few Pointers,_ I made mention that I'll no longer be able to maintain my guaranteed chapter per month updates, though I'll still attempt to make the deadline any chance I get.**

 **That aside, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Onii-chan!_ "

* * *

The girl groaned as she rolled over, squeezing her eyes shut. The soft feeling of her sheets against her bare legs provided comfort, and she drew said legs up into her chest, pulling the sheets into a mass atop her.

Though she dreaded to do so, she cracked one eye open, glaring at the alarm clock at her bedside.

There were two minutes until her alarm went off. Not nearly as much time as she wanted.

She closed her eyes once more, and it didn't seem like even a second passed before the annoying ringing began. Lashing out, she hit the snooze button and turned into her pillow, groaning.

"Jus' wanna sleep..." She muttered, then the alarm went off again.

Lily Arc pushed herself up with a growl, shutting off the alarm as her feet settled against the hardwood floor. She stared at the window across the room, her reflection looking just as happy as she felt.

The girl in the window's expression twisted into a smile.

 _Only three hours until class starts_.

Lily stood, her feet padding across the floor to her desk – something she liked to imagine her brother did when it was his room. She took a look at the stack of textbooks resting on the desk's corner, putting a hand to the cover of the one on top. The girl hummed, before she shook her head. There'd be time for studying later, after her classes.

That, and she didn't exactly want to burn herself out so early.

The hand that had been resting against the textbook fell to the long piece of carefully carved wood that had been leaning against the desk, taking it in her grasp. With a jerk of her wrist, the practice sword flew in the air, Lily catching it in her other hand. She drew it back, swiping at the air.

Setting the blade before her, she put her other hand against its hilt. She rolled her shoulders, trying to get comfortable, and started to move. She started with a simple exercise: a warm-up. Nothing complicated, just to get her blood pumping and her joints loose, as per her routine.

After a minute or so, the girl tossed the wooden blade on her bed softly, dropping to the floor. She stretched her muscles out, then did a few more basic exercises: crunches, push-ups, dips while using her chair as a crutch, and a set of squats. She did them all, even though she hated it.

She wasn't an absolute health nut like Claire. No, Lily couldn't even fathom the idea of going out for a run and finding it enjoyable. She didn't exercise because she wanted to.

She exercised because she needed to.

The girl panted lightly as she lay flat against the floor, wiping the perspiration off her brow. She knew she could push herself to do another round of the exercises, and so she did.

After her last squat of the fourth full set, Lily walked into the bathroom, her muscles a little sore and turned on the tap, splashing her face with water to cool off slightly. She stood in front of the mirror, tilting her head as she looked herself up and down, confused.

Lily turned off the water, poking and prodding at areas that were supposed to be soft flesh, instead finding resistance. She pulled the loose pajama shirt she'd worn to bed clean off, the clothing slightly damp from her efforts, and tossed it aside.

"What?" She began tracing the skin along her stomach with her fingertips.

 _I look... good_? _I feel_... _good_?!

The girl turned so her side was presented towards the mirror, keeping her eyes on her figure as she moved. She brought a hand to her chest.

"I got bigger?" She looked down, blushing as she pouted. "This better not mess with my technique... I'm finally getting used to it."

The girl gasped, sliding her pants down as well, turning and looking over her shoulder. "Oh my..."

She flexed – or rather, tried to flex.

"I look _damn_ good."

* * *

"You were late ... because you were busy-" The girl snorted in laughter, "-admiring yourself in the mirror?"

"Shut up..." Lily groaned, slugging her friend in the arm, looking away in embarrassment as they walked down the mostly empty hall, a few other students moving between classrooms. "I got distracted, that's all."

"You know, you're a weird one." Cott said cryptically. Lily tilted her head in confusion, and the girl made to elaborate. "Like, excitable, but eerily quiet at times. You're humble, but you're also an absolute narcissist."

"Oh?" The Arc challenged, grinning maliciously. "I'm a narcissist?"

Cott began to move more mechanically, struggling to smile. Resisting the urge to laugh at her friend's antics, Lily kept her taunting grin, patting the faunus' shoulder. The girl began to scratch at her neckline, below which her heritage became obvious.

"So... how'd you do in our Basic Tactics midterm?"

"You're not getting away that easily..." Lily trailed off.

"I heard you did really well."

"A perfect grade." Lily bragged, jabbing her thumb towards her own chest. "Fourteenth person in Signal's history."

Cott clapped happily, as Lily nodded along proudly.

Lily blinked. "Hey, wait..." Her friend giggled, and Lily growled in response. "You win this round."

"I won the last round too. Do I get a prize?"

Lily stared at her friend for a moment. "No."

"Aww... anyways, I need to go turn these forms in," the girl noted, referring to the stack of papers she was holding, "so I'll see you in class."

"Yeah, sure, later." Stretching her arms high above her head, Lily watched on as the girl jogged ahead happily.

Cotton was Lily's first – and technically only – friend at Signal. The girl was fun to be around, and she was decently knowledgeable with regards to the content that was covered in Signal's classes.

But, as she'd shared with Lily, Cotton wouldn't be at Signal for very long. Or, rather, she wasn't planning on completing all four years of Signal's Hunter program as Lily was. The faunus girl was going to apply for a security job in Vale after two years at Signal, then see about getting into the VPD when she had a little experience.

But she wasn't going to be a huntress.

The Arc frowned, playing with her bangs as she hummed in thought. She took a breath, and headed in the opposite direction as Cotton, having been walking with the girl simply for the sake of it.

Had it been the beginning of the year, Lily would have already been in class, waiting patiently at her desk for their lessons to resume, but the girl knew better now: in the few breaks between classes, especially one as long as their lunch break, she had to take advantage of everything Signal had to offer.

That included noon-time trips to Signal's library, forge, and firing range – anywhere that she could learn something outside of her lessons. She talked with her teachers, asked her seniors for advice, and kept an eye on everything happening around her.

Lily began to jog lightly, picking up her pace as she began to ascend the stairs headed to the library. She couldn't participate in her sparring classes fully, as she didn't have her Aura unlocked yet, and was thus spurred to improve in other areas.

It was what Jaune had done, as she'd been informed.

Lily weaved through the tall rows of bookshelves that filled Signal's cramped library. She stopped in front of a specific shelf, and looked up at a specific row.

The girl clicked her tongue in annoyance, looking back and forth down said row. From the looks of things, someone had checked out the book she'd been reading whenever she'd popped into the library during classes. She hadn't been able to take it out herself, because she'd already reached her limit, many books sitting back on her apartment's desk.

She took a moment to trace the spine of another book on the row with her finger, pulling it down. _The Encyclopedia of Modern Weaponry_ would have to keep her occupied for a few minutes. She opened the book, and began reading.

Lily found that the book didn't keep her attention all that well, being mostly just boring history and facts. She flipped through the pages quickly, noting the titles and pictures, but not really reading it. The firearms section looked interesting at first, but it wasn't as specific as she'd liked.

She found one weapon that wasn't interesting, per se, but about nine times more bizarre.

"So, it's like a handheld cannon?" Lily asked herself aloud, looking at the diagram. "That can't be very safe..."

"Ruby? Is that you?"

" _'Early models occasionally had issues, frequently causing damage to users as well as their surroundings'…_ Well, I'd imagine so."

"Ruby?"

"Hm?" Lily looked up from the book, turning to see a girl looking at her expectantly, though her expression quickly changed to one that seemed almost disappointed. "Sorry, what?"

"Ah, sorry." The girl held her hands clasped before her, bouncing on her heels. "I had you mistaken for someone else."

Lily looked up and down the row of shelves, not seeing anyone else. "Were you looking for someone in here?" She asked, turning back to the one who'd approached her. The taller girl seemed to be outfitted more like a huntress than most of the people in Lily's grade, the first year taking note of the axe she had on her belt.

"Uh... no, not really. I was just looking for a book, when I saw you and..." The girl tilted her head slightly. "...Do you have any family that's been to Signal?"

Lily nodded. "A brother."

"A brother? Odd..."

 _What's odd is you_. Lily replied silently before she shook the thought off, sliding the book back on the shelf. "What's odd?"

"Well, you look a lot like one of my friends. She's at Beacon now, so I guess it would be weird for her to be here, and if she was, that could mean many different things, and..."

The girl trailed off as Lily raised a brow in response. "I look like your friend?"

"Yeah." She tilted her head. "It's eerie. Honestly, if your hair was styled differently, a little more red, and you wore a red cloak everywhere you went, it would be impossible to tell the difference. You were even reading a book about weapons. It's really eerie."

Lily hummed. "Well, I guess I'm sorry I'm not the friend you were looking for?"

"Oh, no, _I'm_ sorry." The girl gave an earnest smile in response. "You're a first year?"

Holding out her hand, Lily smiled back. "Yeah, Lily Arc."

"Arc...? Ah! Your brother got beaten by Ruby's sister during last year's graduation." The girl took Lily's hand. "Ivy Hedera. Third year."

Lily felt her eye twitch at Ivy's comment about her brother losing, but otherwise maintained a pleasant expression as she shook the girl's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Ivy beamed back. "So you're up here reading during your lunch break? How studious."

"...I guess?" Lily blinked. "You were looking for a book yourself?"

The older student nodded. "Yeah. _Physics of Dust and Combat_. I didn't see it on the shelves, though, so I'm guessing they're all checked out."

Lily chuckled nervously, able to picture the cover in her head. "I have one that I checked out, back at home." She admitted. "I'm just about finished the last section... I'll pass it on to you instead of turning it back in?"

"Oh, you'd do that for me?" Ivy smiled, as if she just found a thousand lien on the roadside.

"Sure. I can get it done tonight, actually. Have it for you tomorro-"

Lily was cut off as the third year flung an arm around her shoulders. "Oh, jeez, you're a life saver. I swear, Mr. Branwen's substitute is even more strict than the man himself. If I had to hand in something late to him?" Ivy shivered visibly, Lily unable to keep herself from laughing. "Hey, what are you laughing at?"

The girl snorted. "You're funny."

Ivy blinked, before she grinned excitedly. "Yeah, I guess I am, ain't I?"

Lily snorted again at the girl's grammar, before she gasped, pushing the girl's arm off her as she fumbled for her scroll. The screen lit up.

"Oh no!" Lily let out in short breath. "I've got to go!"

As improper as she knew it was, Lily began to run down the aisle of books, headed to the exit. She moved as quickly as her legs could push her, passing a shelf with each stride.

"What's up?"

Lily looked to her left, seeing Ivy moving at the same speed – if not faster – while moving backwards. She'd nearly stepped on her own foot in surprise, stumbling slightly.

"I'm going to... be late for sparring class!" Lily noted between breaths.

"Oh, I'll come watch." Ivy said, grinning as if their pace was worth no extra effort.

"Don't... you have class... too?"

"Free period." She answered easily.

"Feh..." Was all Lily could muster in response, hopping down the first flight of stairs. She caught a glance of something out of the corner over her eye, but continued her descent down the stairwell.

When she got to the bottom, Ivy was standing there, waiting.

"How…?"

"I jumped the railing. Come on now, if you go as fast as you can, we might just make it in time.

* * *

Yang hummed a melody, laying back on her bed. She bobbed her head along as the song blared through her headphones, the voices harmonic despite the mess of instruments playing in the background. Kicking her legs out to stretch, she rolled over, though the action dislodged her headphones slightly.

The blonde sat up, blinking as she readjusted the headgear. She looked around the dorm room, finding it alarmingly empty, before she remembered the rest of her team had left to do whatever they wanted to do with their free time after classes. Yang reached for her scroll.

There weren't any messages, but Yang just shrugged that off as usual, pausing her music. She tossed her headphones on her pillow and stood, continuing to stretch. She pursed her lips, looking out the window.

The girl strode over, smiling up at the noon sun. Maybe when the team was all together, they could head out and do something? It would go like it always would: Weiss would protest, though her smile would betray her own words. Nora would agree vehemently, no matter what, and Jaune would just sigh, already outvoted.

But the real question was what to do. Yang crossed her arms, looking out at Beacon's gardens, one of the few things visible from their dorm. It was one of the Academy's least frequented areas, only beaten in that regard by the lower docks.

At least, as far as students were concerned: Nobody really hung around the gardens because it seemed to be where the professors and other staff would hang around on the weekends. Even from their window, Yang could see Professor Goodwitch conversing with Professor Port.

The gossip inside her desperately wanted to know what the two were talking about, but the blonde just sighed, watching as her team's mentor typed something into her scroll.

Not a moment later, Yang's scroll buzzed, and the girl frowned. She continued watching for a few seconds longer, her heart almost leaping into her throat as Goodwitch seemed to turn to stare right at her.

"Yikes." The blonde shivered walking over to her bed where she'd left her scroll. "That's hella creepy." She pulled it open, noting the new message from, who else, Professor Goodwitch.

' _Meet at the training ground at two, ready for combat. Don't be late, this is important_.'

"Well, there goes our free time." Yang groaned, pulling the blinds closed before she took her pajama top off. She strode over to the closet, quickly grabbing things to put on. Her eyes went up to Jaune's coat. Of _course_ he wouldn't have it...

The blonde got dressed quickly, pausing before the open closet. She frowned pulling his jacket off the hanger, and sliding her arms through its sleeves.

Yang closed the dorm's door. She turned, jogged outside and rushed across the courtyard. While it was mildly frustrating for Goodwitch to suddenly call them to action, they were used to it.

After nearly two whole months of being under Goodwitch's mentorship, Yang had found herself relying more on Jaune, Weiss and Nora than she ever felt the need to rely on herself.

And that's why she raced to the training grounds unarmed.

A few minutes passed before the blonde entered the clearing, barely winded. She unzipped Jaune's jacket, taking her spot on a fallen log as she waited for the rest of her team to arrive.

"You're here early."

Yang's head whipped around, and she looked to Goodwitch, the professor standing there with her arms crossed.

"Making a fashion statement?"

"I, uh..." Yang looked down at Jaune's jacket.

"It's alright, I was joking."

Yang didn't think she heard right. Goodwitch, joking?

"Anyways..." JWYN's mentor frowned, "You don't have your weapons? I thought I told you to be ready for combat?"

Yang glanced towards the entrance to the clearing. If the rest of her team got the message, then they should be on their way. Seeing as Jaune was likely at the forge, he'd be on the way with their weapons. "But it's not two o'clock yet?"

The professor's frown seemed to deepen. "That shouldn't matter. Call your weapons here."

"Call them here?" Yang tilted her head.

A moment passed before Goodwitch sighed. "They're in a rocket locker, aren't they? I swear, if we wasted that much of our budget on them and nobody actually uses them, more than a few people will be thrown through windows."

Yang whipped out her scroll, recognizing the professor's bad mood for what it was. Entering her code, the scroll beeped, confirming her locker was on its way. She winced, as she realized Jaune could have been reaching in her locker right then and there.

"Whose idea were those things?" Yang asked innocently, the locker landing not far from where she sat. She hopped off her log, and walked over, stepping around the crater it made.

...She'd have to make sure Jaune didn't _ever_ use that particular function. If he did, the Dust inside would cause one hell of a mess.

The locker door popped open, and Goodwitch answered. "Professor Port."

"Professor Port?" Yang looked at the blonde professor over her shoulder, not exactly surprised.

"Yes. He never asks for anything, so it was hard to say no when he actually did."

"Another question..." Yang regarded the locker as she stepped back, sliding Ember Celica on her wrists. "Are these things reusable?"

"It depends." Yang turned, and by Goodwitch's tone of voice, that was all she was going to get. "You're ready?"

The blonde nodded, and in a second, Goodwitch crossed the distance between the two, Yang's eyes widening. Not knowing what to do at all – reacting purely on reflex – the brawler raised her hands in a sloppy block.

"Wait!" Yang cried out as the length of the professor's leg stuck her forearms, knocking her hands closer to her face. Barely able to see the woman past her limbs, Yang couldn't react as Goodwitch's leg came up, colliding with the side of her head.

The blow knocked Yang back, the blonde spinning around in a defensive stance as Goodwitch dashed towards her. The mentor didn't even have her weapon in hand.

Yang backed away at the woman's approach. "What about my team?"

"What about them?" Goodwitch asked, her expression serious as she moved to close the gap again, Yang moving further back.

"Where are they?"

"Probably enjoying their free time."

In that moment, everything clicked. "I'm the only one you called here?" Yang wondered aloud.

Goodwitch didn't answer, instead dashing forward again. Yang attempted to move backwards again to maintain the distance, but the blonde professor that was her opponent took another step, forcing Yang to block as she went for a punch. Yang kept her eyes on her mentor the whole time.

The impact of the professor's punch was light, bouncing off Yang's gauntlets. Trying to retaliate, Yang took a half step back, before lunging forward, her fist headed for Goodwitch's midsection.

The attack didn't connect, the professor slapping the attack away with her open palm. The elbow Yang received to the gut winded her. She tried to recover, but she'd over extended on the last attempt to make contact.

The professor crossed her leg in front of Yang's left, grabbed her extended arm, and pulled. The colors in Yang's sight quickly changed from blue to green, and then to brown as her face hit the ground.

"Ow..." Yang groaned into the dirt.

"Stand up, and get into your ready position." Goodwitch ordered from above. "I'll show you exactly what you just did wrong."

* * *

Lily yawned from her spot in the viewing area of Signal's arena, wiping a stray, tired tear from her eye. The current match happening below was far from interesting, but she still continued to watch, in case there was something she needed to see.

While saying that the match was boring may have seemed a bit harsh, it was the truth. It didn't look like a fight at all. Two of the guys from her class she'd never bothered learning the names of were just swinging at each other with a couple of wooden sticks. There was no urgency, and the moment either of them had gotten a clean hit in, they'd backed off and reset.

It was nothing like what she'd seen the day Jaune graduated from Signal. It wasn't even close to the way Huntsmen and Huntresses were supposed to fight.

Had it been this aggravating for Jaune, when he didn't have Aura? Being forced to watch people screw around, when they could have actually been trying to improve?

The Arc girl scowled as she shook her head rapidly, but she couldn't rid the thought that those in her class just didn't have any drive whatsoever. Even Cotton – a girl Lily considered her friend – was chatting amicably with a couple other girls about something unrelated to the match a good distance away. The least they could have been doing was paying attention. Lily had sat further up the bleachers in an effort to avoid such a distraction.

One of the boys brought the stick around in a sweep, catching the other in the shin, before they both separated. From what Lily saw of their instructor's expression, he wasn't necessarily pleased either.

"Alright, that's enough." Mr. Bore called out, the man's name oddly fitting for his personality. "Return your weapons to the wall, and get back to your seats."

Lily just sighed. She heard someone hop down from the row behind her, taking a seat on the bench beside her.

"That was a travesty." Ivy noted, Lily's new friend having been sitting further up. " _This_ is your class?"

"Exciting isn't it?" The girl asked sarcastically, watching the pair of idiots who'd just been fighting hang their weapons on the wall, amid an assortment of other carefully carved weapons of various shapes and sizes. "I apologize in advance if I don't actually get called down to fight. Otherwise, I just wasted about an hour of your time."

"…You know, I was just about to ask if it really was _that_ bad, but I realized there's evidence enough right in front of me."

"Mhmm." Lily hummed her agreement.

"Next up!" Mr. Bore called out from the arena floor. "Lily Arc and Cotton Rouge."

"You have got to be kidding me…" Lily breathed. Cotton was the last person Lily wanted to fight against today, mostly because she was the only one Lily didn't want to vent her frustrations on.

"She a tough one?" Ivy asked.

"She's one of the better fighters in our class." She explained as she stood. "But I still have to handicap myself."

"You're joking, right?"

"Not at all."

Lily quickly hopped down the stairs to the arena floor. Cotton had already descended from the further down the viewing area, and the white haired girl gave Lily a quick wave.

"Pull whatever you want from the wall, and stand in the designated areas." Mr. Bore instructed, though at this point he might as well have been replaced by a robot for all the good he did.

Facing the wall of weapons, Lily squeezed her eyes shut, taking in a breath to calm herself.

 _Why do I feel so… frustrated_?

Lily opened her eyes, looking over the array of weaponry available to her. The variety was impressive, and also the only way the Arc girl could make her own matches somewhat interesting.

But instead of going for one of the odd, unfamiliar weapons as she usually did, Lily reached for a long hilted, recurved blade she'd used before. Its single edge was painted, so the instructor or opponent would know that was the sharp side, and call the match accordingly. She propped the blade up on her shoulder, and took her position on the one side of the arena.

Cotton – as per usual – just took a simple wooden baton. She never tried anything different.

"Ready? …Begin!"

Like usual, Mr. Bore didn't care that neither of them had shown any sign that they were ready. Like usual, Cotton wasn't in anything resembling any kind of ready stance.

Like usual, Lily was going to end this fight as quickly as possible.

The Arc girl took three steps forward in rapid succession, leaping towards Cotton on the third step. Cotton rose her baton to block the downwards strike Lily had telegraphed, and the girl couldn't help but feel disappointed.

She landed, and with a twist of her wrist, Lily rapped the painted edge of her weapon against Cotton's wrist. Then, she brought the practice sword up, knocking the baton from her friend's grasp.

The white haired girl didn't know how to react. She just stood there, staring at Lily, completely dumbfounded.

In one fluid motion and a bout of anger, Lily raised her empty hand, curled it into a fist, and slammed it straight into Cotton's nose. The girl felt something give, and Cotton let out a scream of pain, falling to the ground.

Lily trembled slightly, and let out a long breath. Cotton was on the ground with a hand to her nose as the blood flowed freely from it.

It was pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

The Arc girl threw her blade to the ground, and turned to Mr. Bore, whose eyes were wide. "Is this match over?"

The instructor seemed at a loss for words. "I… uh… yes?"

" _Riry_ …" Cotton groaned from the floor. " _I 'hink you broke my nose_."

Lily tried her best to smile down at the girl she'd have to apologize to later. "It's a combat school."

Cotton chuckled, despite the pain it seemed to cause her. " _Ow_ … _That's fair_."

"Lily Arc…" Mr. Bore spoke, finally appearing to have gotten his bearings. "Such conduct is unforgivable."

Lily turned to the man, frowning. "It's a _combat school_. It's literally what we're supposed to do."

"Sparring with your classmates is, indeed, what this class is for. Intentionally injuring your classmates, however, is not part of the curriculum." The man sighed, as if what he was doing was really that much effort. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you down to the office, and get this sorted out."

The irate girl stuck her fists to her hips. "You're kidding."

"I'm afraid not." The man looked up into the stands, that had gone quiet after Lily and Cotton's sham of a match. "Would one of you be able to take Cotton to the infirmary?"

"You can take her yourself." Lily offered, walking to the arena's exit. "I know my way to the office."

"Miss Arc!" The man called out.

Lily didn't look back.

* * *

Jaune stayed completely silent, the only sound in Ozpin's office the soft ticking of the gears turning overhead, the hands of the clock turning with the passage of time. Occasionally, the silence would be broken by the shuffling of the boy's own feet, or the sound of Ozpin's mug being settled back down on the desk.

The boy looked down at the floor before him, seeing the shadows cast by the gears as they moved. He'd been called to the headmaster's office for a meeting, having received the message on his black scroll not long ago. Ozpin had greeted him with a nod, but otherwise hadn't spoken.

It was clear they were waiting for Professor Goodwitch to arrive.

The blond glanced towards the headmaster, who seemed to be fixed on a particular point on his desk. Jaune shuffled in place, unable to do anything to break the odd tension.

Jaune had an idea of why he was there. He just figured asking for answers now would be too forward.

"So." The headmaster spoke at last.

"Yes?" He'd almost tacked on a 'sir' at the tail end of his answer.

"How are you doing in classes?"

The boy took a moment to gather his thoughts, curious as to why Ozpin had chosen then to speak. "It's... not easy, but it's not hard either." He tried to explain. "So far, nothing really seems to require extra effort, aside from when my team stays after the first year sparring class and participates with the second years."

"I remember Glynda asking for permission to arrange that." There was a ghost of a smile on the headmaster's lips. "I couldn't exactly deny her that, especially after what I did for Bart and Peter."

 _Bart_? _Peter_? Jaune blinked.

"Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck." The tall man stated, as if Jaune should have recognized their names immediately.

"Ah. What did they ask for?"

The man pursed his lips momentarily. "I suppose I can tell you. Bart wanted Team PBRL to have unrestricted access to the simulation room: a place most students don't end up using until their third year. Not only are they allowed to use the room without supervision, but they can even use the virtual reality equipment... Though I believe the good doctor hasn't gotten them started on that just yet."

Jaune nodded along, remembering Ruby mentioning their simulations. "What about Professor Port?"

"That... was a little harder to arrange. Peter never asks for anything, so it was hard to say no when he actually did." The man shuffled in his seat, getting more comfortable. "There's a basement floor here in Beacon Tower that has gone unused for quite some time. Peter requested that he and CRDL be allowed to use it. That itself was simple, but the man's other request was... something I really had to consider."

"What was that?" Jaune asked.

"Peter asked that CRDL be excused from all classes for the first year."

"Really?" Jaune's brow furrowed in confusion. "But... the few times I've seen them, they've always been in a rush..."

 _If they hadn't been rushing to and from class, then what were they doing_?

"It was a tough call to make, but Peter has been teaching for over twenty years." Ozpin chuckled. "And CRDL have still been showing up to classes, haven't they?"

Jaune blinked. "Maybe he never told them?"

"I suppose we'll never know. Unless I decide to ask, that is." A light flashed rapidly on Ozpin's desk, catching Jaune's eye. "Ah, Glynda must finally be on her way up. Perhaps we can continue this chat later."

The blond boy nodded silently in response, turning to face the elevator. He glanced up at the clockwork, before his eyes settled on his mentor as she entered the office.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to have a word with one of the students about a dress code violation."

"But it's the weekend?" Jaune offered in protest, defending his fellow student.

"I'm well aware." The woman adjusted her glasses. "After her hurried explanation, I learned she _wasn't_ just standing in the hallway clad in nothing but a towel for no reason."

Jaune felt his cheeks heat up at that. "Ah… I see."

"That certainly sounds like an interesting tale, but now that you're here, I'd like to get down to business."

"Of course." After Goodwitch spoke, the air seemed to grow thick. The clicking of the clockwork overhead seemed muted.

"Now then, there's two things I'd like to discuss with you today." Ozpin stated casually, though his words seemed much heavier than they'd been just seconds ago. "We'll start with the events of yesterday evening."

"Yesterday?" Jaune questioned. "You mean the message?"

"...No, but that is the other thing we need to cover." The headmaster answered. "I was referring to the White Fang attack on Vale's deep-water docks."

Jaune blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You hadn't heard?" Goodwitch asked, Jaune turning towards his team's mentor. "The other night, Team PBRL were out in Vale, and the four of them conveniently ran into a heist involving a shipment from the Schnee Dust Company."

"Oh!" Jaune nodded rapidly, remembering. "Weiss said something about that this morning."

Goodwitch turned back to the headmaster. "Did you learn anything else, beyond what PBRL had told you the night thereof?"

"No, but that's what we're going to talk about. Jaune." Ozpin regarded him with a steely glance. "Have you read Blake Belladonna's file, on your scroll?"

Jaune drew his lips tight, nodding.

"Then you know she's a Faunus, and a former member of the White Fang?" Jaune nodded again. "Of the four members of PBRL, she's the one who I'd figured would be the most forthcoming with regards to information about what had happened, but she'd been… frustratingly uncooperative."

That caught Jaune off guard. "Why?"

It was hard to gauge the expression on the headmaster's face, but he didn't seem pleased at all. "When I'd interviewed the rest of the team, they'd all given their accounts of what had happened, and what had led them to the White Fang. Miss Belladonna is no exception to that, but when I asked her what else she knew, she clammed up." The man sighed. "I don't mean to assume that she's hiding something, but her words and actions suggest otherwise. It's my own personal failing, mostly: I shouldn't have approached it like I did."

"Which puts us in an awkward situation – us being myself and the headmaster." Goodwitch continued in Ozpin's stead. "We cannot approach Miss Belladonna about this. But your team and her's are close."

Jaune's heart skipped a beat. "You want me to spy on her."

"In a manner of speaking." Ozpin confirmed. "She hasn't done anything wrong, nor do we have any inclination to think she might, but if she has any sort of information to provide – regardless of whether that information is given freely or not – we need to know."

Jaune clenched his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut. The boy rubbed at his temples, knowing what they were asking him to do. It was unethical, but it was something they needed. Something they all needed.

"I won't be able to ask her directly." Jaune stated.

"Ideally you won't have to." The man seated at the desk noted. "Put an ear to the ground, as far as her and her team's activities go, and see if you hear anything. Miss Belladonna, like everyone, has a reason for what she does."

"Then… I'll do my best."

 _What the hell have I gotten myself into_?

"Good." Ozpin turned to the other blonde in the room. "Glynda, we'll leave this to Jaune."

"Okay."

"Now, on to the message we all got from Qrow." Jaune stood straighter at the mention of his old teacher. "He's being as cryptic as usual, but I suppose it's for the best. Regardless, the implications are troubling."

 _Queen has pawns_ …

"There's even reason to believe she's ultimately behind the White Fang attack the other night." Ozpin frowned. "Qrow's message confirms she's not working alone. If she had been, her machinations would have long since been known to us."

"Qrow's message tells us nothing beyond that." Goodwitch cut in.

"And he hasn't sent anyone anything since." The headmaster resumed. "It's not unusual for him, but it's still troubling regardless."

Jaune honestly, truly wished he could admit his current confusion. He felt like he was watching the third episode of a T.V. drama, where he'd have had to have watched the first two episodes to have even the slightest clue as to what was going on. He had no idea who this 'Queen' was.

"…but he's all the way out in Mistral, isn't he? It isn't a coincidence that his message came probably an hour or so after the White Fang's attempted heist?"

Jaune blinked, realizing he'd zoned out and missed some of the conversation. He opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to interrupt Goodwitch as she was speaking. He met Ozpin's eyes, and the man turned his attention to him.

"Is something the matter?" He asked, the blonde woman standing to Jaune's side going silent at the disruption.

Jaune took the moment to take in a breath. "Who _is_ the Queen?"

Ozpin stared Jaune down for a moment, and the boy was uncertain as to if that had been the right question to ask, or if it had just been the wrong time, or whatever. Finally, after what seemed like a minute, the man opened his mouth.

"It's… something we're going to have to discuss later." The headmaster explained. "For now, understand that she is our enemy, and wants nothing more than to destroy us and bring war to Remnant."

The blond nodded dumbly, and Goodwitch resumed talking, though her words seemed a little more fragile. Nothing could stop Jaune from feeling he'd just been told a lie: the uneasy tingling in his stomach, the obvious tension in the room…

He took a breath, and listened closely.

It was something he'd be doing a lot of.


	35. Three and Three

**Hey everyone, how are you? I've been pretty stressed for time recently*. (*read as: lazy)**

 **Obviously, with my delay to get JaFP out not too long ago, I've had trouble getting this out on time as well. What am I, three weeks past what would have been my deadline? I apologize for that. I could have dedicated more time to getting this out, but simply decided not to. I wish I could devote all of my time to writing my stories, but I simply can't.**

 **On the bright side, this will probably be one of the longest gaps between two chapters I'll ever had. It can only get better from here.**

 **With that said, enjoy this little chapter. Big things are on their way.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"The second act is about to begin. We'll be busy."_

* * *

Jaune breathed steadily, his feet trudging through the currently muddy path that had become all too familiar to his team over their time at Beacon, the rain falling on his head annoying him slightly. Over his shoulder Aquila clattered softly against his wet armor, the only reminder his spear was there now that he was used to its weight. It, with Horizon holstered across his back and Crocea Mors strapped to his arm, made him feel secure.

Miss Goodwitch, however, and the words she'd casually – yet eerily – mentioned to him the other day, did not.

The blonde woman had approached him, the day immediately after their mysterious and concerning meeting with the headmaster – which still plagued his thoughts – and told him to meet her at their regular training ground at noon in two days, and there'd be a test waiting for him. Those words probably wouldn't be cause for alarm under normal circumstances.

But Goodwitch never gave tests. She'd 'tested' them before, JWYN, as a whole. She faced off against them nearly every day, with the exception being the past week or so, but she never actually gave them a test.

The boy drew in a breath through his nose, taking in the smell of the rain, calming himself. If it truly was a test, then he was taking it alone. Without his teammates.

He was fine with that... but he had to admit: it was a strange feeling.

Keeping an eye on the trees around him as he moved, Jaune considered everything that could happen. Would she take him out to the Emerald Forest in this rain, perhaps? Maybe a one on one, where he was expected to survive for longer than seven minutes against Miss Goodwitch herself? He figured he might be able to manage six minutes, but seven? In this weather? That was pushing it.

The moment Jaune passed into the clearing, a whole new plethora of options had to be considered, taking note of the four grumpy-looking students standing alongside his mentor, instantly recognizable to him.

 _What's CFVY doing here_?

As Jaune moved closer, even more scenarios started popping into his head. Would he have to fight Coco? Yatsuhashi? All of them? The boy swallowed the lump in his throat, stopping across from the five who'd been waiting for him. He'd seen them all fight. Each of them was more than an even match for him.

What did his mentor have planned?

"You're on time" Goodwitch called out. "See, CFVY? We didn't have to wait long."

"He could have been early though. Then we could have started early, and maybe gotten out of this damn rain already."

"You knew it was going to be raining today, Coco. You refused to bring an umbrella, because you said you didn't have one that would look good with your top." Yatsuhashi remarked, probably the longest sentence Jaune had ever heard the boy say. "You also said none of _us_ were allowed to bring umbrellas, because we would all suffer together as a team."

"My ears are cold..." Velvet complained.

The blond boy recognized the banter for what it was – an attempt to distract him, to not give him time to think. "Okay... so I'm here." He casually mentions, reminding the others of his presence.

Goodwitch scrutinized him for a moment. "...I'm assuming I don't have to ask you whether or not you're prepared?"

Coco Adel barked out a short laugh. "Everytime I see him, I still can't believe he lugs all those weapons around with him."

The rest of CFVY, and even Miss Goodwitch, turned to the team's leader.

"You have a minigun in your purse." The dark skinned member of the team mentioned plainly.

Jaune couldn't see past the girl's sunglasses, but he was sure she blinked once or twice, before turning. "Shut up."

"I really don't know why I put up with you. Can we get this show on the road?"

It seemed like the majority shared his sentiment with regards to getting out of the rain as quickly as possible. "What am I doing?" He asked.

"We'll get to that eventually, Jaune." It still bothered him slightly, Goodwitch using his first name – especially in front of other students, like Coco, who he was pretty sure his mentor would still be referring to as Miss Adel. "I don't need to ask whether you're prepared or not, but I do need to ask you this: How long of an engagement are you prepared for?"

Jaune hummed, thinking at everything he'd packed into his pouch. Checking off his inventory in his head... He realized that wasn't exactly what Goodwitch was asking. "Twenty to thirty minutes of continuous, all-out fighting. An hour and a quarter to an hour and a half of long-term engagement. With just my sword and shield though? Until I drop."

"Excellent. Miss Adel-" C _alled it_. "-what we agreed upon before is still fine?"

"More than fine." Coco had replied, adjusting her stance slightly, with a grin on her face.

That... didn't look promising.

"Jaune Arc." Goodwitch began again, "I'm assuming you're familiar with the members of team CFVY at this point?"

The boy nodded rigidly. "I am."

"Name two of them."

Blinking, Jaune looked over the four members of CFVY. He knew all their names – it was an odd request. "Uhh... Velvet and Fox."

"Tch." Fox clicked his tongue, walking forwards, Velvet following him shortly after. "I'm honestly surprised... I didn't think you'd remember my name."

Jaune looked from Fox, to Velvet, and then back to Fox. They were going to be his opponents? Both of them?

He needed to come up with a strategy, fast-

Fox and Velvet didn't stop before him, instead coming to stand beside him.

"In a moment," Goodwitch called out, "we will begin our three on three match. Jaune Arc, Fox Alistar, and Velvet Scarlatina versus Coco Adel, Yatsuhashi Daichi... and me. You have two minutes to strategize."

 _Wait, what_?

"We were told you're supposed to lead us." Velvet mentioned casually, flicking droplets of water from her top pair of ears. "We'll follow your orders. I can't wait to see more of your Dust rounds in action."

Fox grunted. "You could always just surrender, though. Get us out of this rain..."

Jaune snorted, his mind whirling as he focused on thinking up a plan. "Not an option. Fox, you and Velvet do your best to take down Coco. Yatsuhashi will try to stop you, seeing as he's the heavier close combat fighter, but we're going to try and power through that. The quicker we turn this into a numbers advantage, the better off we... are..." The boy trailed off, noticing both Velvet and Fox staring at him, eyes wide. "What?"

"Have you been watching us train?" Velvet asked curiously.

The blond furrowed his brow in confusion. "No, why?"

"That's what we usually do during our two on two training, when we're put into these pairs." Fox explained. "It'll work well enough. What about Goodwitch?"

"It seemed pretty obvious to me…" Jaune muttered, but he didn't give it a second thought. "We can't do anything about Goodwitch until either Coco or Yatsuhashi is out – preferably both."

"What if they come to us instead?" Velvet asked.

That was a tougher question to answer. "Then we'll retreat. I'll be the rear guard, while you and... Fox, do you know how to shoot?"

"Do I breathe?"

"Right. Stupid question. Take this." Jaune reached around his back, retrieving Horizon, and holding it out to the older boy who was to be his temporary teammate. He also offered two magazines, holding them out as Fox inspected the gun. "You two do whatever you can to hit them while I cover you..."

A thought ran through Jaune's head – a stray one, but a thought to consider regardless.

"Hey." Fox looked up from Horizon, as did Velvet, both of having been inspecting the weapon. "If I go down, I'll get back up. But if I get taken out of the match, however which way, and it becomes a two versus three, you should surrender."

The two members of CFVY stared at him blankly, one of Velvet's ears twitching.

"That's not happening." Velvet stated firmly.

Jaune blinked, taken aback.

"I'll be perfectly honest with you." Fox started, more serious than he had been before. "Did you ever doubt yourself as a leader? If you did, don't ever have that doubt again. But at the same time... _never_ say that to your teammates."

"What?"

The dark skinned boy ran a hand through his hair. "Your teammates? All they have to do is believe. To have faith that you'll pull them through whatever hell you're going up against." Fox took a deep breath. "If they doubt you, they doubt themselves. Coco was like you, once. We learned something the hard way, and now I'm telling you this so you don't have to."

"It's our duty to help you first years." Velvet continued in the boy's place. "No matter what – if it becomes a two on three, or if it's even just myself or Fox against the three of them – we won't stop. Because I get the feeling you won't quit, even if we fall. Because that's what huntsmen and huntresses do. They don't ever give up."

Wow... that was some inspiring stuff. "Thanks guys."

"Well, that isn't the only reason we have for wanting to win..." Velvet admitted, looking to the side, seemingly ashamed.

Fox nodded his head in agreement. "True."

"One minute!" Goodwitch called from across the clearing.

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Jaune felt compelled to ask, looking between Fox and Velvet.

"Goodwitch said if whoever was called to your side won, she'd get each of them reservations for two at Shino's..."

Jaune let out a whistle at that. That was some pretty high class dining. Everyone knew about Shino's. Hell, the head chef was a huge crush of Juncea's all through high school, if Jaune could remember correctly.

Wait, wasn't that bribery? Couldn't they just _all_ go together if the ones on Goodwitch's side let them win?

"It isn't like we don't have anything else to fight for, though." Fox pointed out, answering Jaune's question. "Coco's been bugging me a lot lately, trying to get me to go out clothes shopping with her. Last time I went, she put me in a dress. A dress! It's time for some payback."

Velvet let out something that resembled a growl. "Just the other day, Yatsuhashi teased me by holding my lunch tray _way_ above his head, out of reach."

Jaune was confused by that, tilting his head. "Couldn't you have just taken it back? Can't you, like, jump three stories or something?"

"It's not that I couldn't take it back; it's a matter of principle." She turned, to look at the other group. "Your reign of terror ends here..."

The blond turned to Fox, but the boy just shook his head, as if to say not to bother. "Well, are we all ready?" The CFVY member asked.

Inspiration struck. "Wait." Jaune reached into his pouch. "I have a plan. Like, an actual plan."

Both second-years turned back to him, facing him square on.

He held his clenched hand out to Fox.

"Take this."

* * *

"Friend-Nora, what are we going to be doing today?"

Nora turned towards Penny with a bright smile. The Atlesian girl smiled in return a second later, her eyes wide as she waited for a response.

"Today – like every day – we're going to have some fun!" Nora declared, giving the girl a thumbs up. "First things first, though. We're going to see if Ren'll come along with us!"

"Lie Ren? I remember you telling me about him." Penny nodded, before her face contorted to a look of deep thought. "But I remember you saying he was boring, and tends to be a... stick in the mud? That's what I believe I remember you saying."

The hammer wielder felt her cheeks heat up at that in slight embarrassment, before the feeling quickly faded. "Ren _is_ boring. But being around him isn't! You'll see."

The two girls were slowly making their way down the halls of Beacon's dorms, busier than they'd ever been, which was likely a result of the downpour outside: a storm warning grounded air traffic, meaning the first years who were supposed to be headed back to Vale were offered places in the dorms.

Dorms that rightfully should have been theirs... Nora still didn't think that policy made sense at all – the one where the students had to be on a team to stay in a dorm. If there was actually a good reason for it, the girl couldn't think of one. Maybe it was some kind of stupid policy the headmaster couldn't work around? But at the same time, he was the _headmaster_ ; what couldn't he work around?

If she was being honest with herself, there was something fishy about all of that... Only three teams of first-years, then grouping up the 'free students' into teams for their second year, instead of just getting them all together to start?

Nora's thoughts strayed to her own, busy team: After classes, Weiss had gone to the library, Yang went somewhere with her sister, and Jaune went to meet Goodwitch for some kind of training – even though that in particular wasn't supposed to be common knowledge. With them all occupied, Nora had decided to visit Penny again, but spending time alone with the girl was taxing, even for her.

So she sought the one other person who could brighten her day.

"This is their room?"

Nora blinked rapidly, having been lost in her own thoughts. She looked up, realizing she was standing outside PBRL's dorm when she hadn't been before.

 _I've got to stop thinking so much_...

She winked at Penny, her friend standing off to the side. "Yep!" Nora gave the door a quick knock, clasping her hands behind her back as she waited.

The door was pulled open, and Nora's eyes met the green of PBRL's leader.

"Hello again." Pyrrha's greeted cheerily, her red ponytail bouncing along with her smile. Nora liked Pyrrha. "Here for Ren? Nevermind, that's really not much of a question." The girl's eyes turned to Penny, tilting her head in curiosity. "And who's this?"

Before Nora could open her mouth to reply, the girl next to her spoke. "I'm Penny. I'm a friend of Nora's. And you are?"

"Pyrrha." The redhead replied with a light smile. "Nice to meet you."

"So... yeah! Here for Ren." Nora confirmed, leaning over a little bit to look into the room. "He is here, right?"

"He's just in the washroom. You two can come in," Pyrrha offered, stepping back, "but please be quiet."

"Okay."

Walking into PBRL's room, Nora took but a moment to glance around. The layout was generally the same as her own dorm, save for the abundance of books on the shelves and the lack of fancy paintings Weiss felt the need to put up. In one of the beds in the corner of the room, a pair of eyes poked up over the top of a book, and the girl behind it offered a wave. Nora waved to Blake in return, smiling politely.

She looked... she looked like she needed a really long nap. Perhaps that was why Pyrrha wanted her and Penny to be quiet?

"Please, make yourself at home." Pyrrha offered, laying back down on what Nora assumed was her bed. "Have a seat, if you'd like. Ren probably won't be much longer."

Nora looked towards the closed bathroom door and nodded, pulling their desk chair out and turning it towards the center of the room. She looked to Penny to offer it, but the offer was waved off before she could even ask. "I'm actually surprised you guys aren't with Oobleck."

"He gave us some time off, after what happened a couple days ago."

"A couple- _Oh._ " It wasn't like Nora had forgotten, but it hadn't come to mind immediately. Of course, that might have been because she'd heard about it from Weiss, who heard it from Jaune, who heard it from Yang, who heard it from Ruby. About the White Fang raiding that Dust shipment, and PBRL being there to stop it.

"Yeah, we're still beating ourselves up about it a little." Pyrrha looked over to Blake, whose eyes strayed to the side as she closed her book. "Hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that. There are so many ways we could have gone about that better."

Nora tilted her head. "But from what I heard, you guys did a good job."

"Not really." Blake called out from across the room, sitting up. "Analyzing it, there were actions we could have taken to reduce, well... to reduce the damages and the casualties."

The orange haired girl drew her lips tight. Part of her wanted to ask now about the specifics, and a part of her wanted to wait until she had Ren alone, so she could talk to him about it.

Pyrrha spoke next. "We could have done better, yes. They got away with a lot of the Dust too."

Nora looked back and forth between the P and B of PBRL, both of them seemingly lost in their thoughts. A moment passed, and the clicking of a door latch resounded in the quiet room.

"Oh, Nora."

The girl could feel the grin spread across her face, turning to her long time friend. "Ren!"

The boy just leaving the dorm's washroom smiled – how she enjoyed seeing that – turning off the light behind him. "I'm surprised you aren't with your team." He turned his bright eyes to Penny. "Who's this?"

"This is Penny from Atlas!" Nora jumped on the opportunity. "She's a new friend of mine."

"From Atlas?" Ren pondered.

"Here for the Vytal Festival, and participating in the tournament."

Though she was sure nobody else really noticed it, Nora saw the way Ren's shoulders tensed beneath his shirt, as well as the slight quirk in his lips. In passing, she'd heard of people picking up on subtle cues that people themselves wouldn't notice – usually from knowing somebody so well, and for so long. She'd never really seen those in Ren before, but she was seeing them now.

It was odd, but the boy's slight change in posture, and the silence in the room after Nora's statement told her one thing: Ren was interested in this girl. Not interested-interested, but _interested_. If it were the other type, Nora would have dragged Penny from the room if it killed her. But it wasn't just Ren. She glanced to the side, noticing Pyrrha looking at the newcomer more intently than before.

The boy offered a curt bow and nod in greeting. "Nice to meet you."

"You're here for the tournament?" Nora heard Blake ask from across the room, turning alongside the foreign girl. "You're a little early."

"I'm here because Headmaster Ironwood considered it an important experience for me to spend time in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. I believe he and my father called it..." The girl paused for a moment, blinking. "I don't recall them referring to it as anything, actually."

Nora looked to Ren, the boy looking back to her with a quirked eyebrow. Nora just shrugged and smiled.

"Wait a minute." Pyrrha interjected. "Ruby told us about you already. I remember." The redheaded girl looked over to Blake, then back to Ren. "Didn't Ruby say something about this earlier, a couple days back? About there being a student from Atlas that team JWYN were showing around Vale?"

"I do remember that." Ren confirmed, a look of recognition on his face as he turned to Penny.

Pyrrha pushed herself up from where she'd just recently sat, walking over. "What's Atlas Academy like?"

Penny seemed to brighten up at that, quickly switching from being taken aback in surprise. Nora just sighed, pulling the chair away from the nearby desk and sitting quietly. One thing Ren had never lost was his curiosity. With his team in on it too, they'd be there for a while.

"Oh, it's _wonderful_! Let's see... what can I say..."

* * *

Jaune panted heavily, ducking behind a fallen log before he heard a sound that had grown equal parts familiar and terrifying. He moved, the log behind him torn to chunks as he searched for new cover. Holding his shield open behind him as best he could while he sprinted further back, he felt one or two rounds ping off its surface, another catching him on his armored shoulder. He cursed as he dived behind a rock, skidding into the mud as the rain pelted him where he lay, catching his breath.

More bullets chipped away at the rock before Jaune heard Coco's minigun wind down – which was just as terrifying as when it spun up. A hand gripped his shoulder, and helped pulled him to his feet. He looked up at the rabbit faunus as he rose, the girl running a hand over her forehead, leaving a smear of mud.

The last three plans they'd tried failed horrendously. Aquila was somewhere back near the clearing, having been knocked from his hands by the sheer force of Yatsuhashi's swings. Fox still had Horizon, and even then, Jaune was sure all he had left were the few Dust rounds he'd given the older student before the battle begun.

All in all, things weren't looking great.

It may not have been the kindest thing, but Jaune didn't waste time thanking Velvet for her help, instead thinking of their next move. "Can you hold Yatsuhashi?"

The girl nodded quickly, her typically upright ears sopping wet, hanging in front of her face a little.

"Then I'll hold Coco. We'll see about giving our first plan another shot. It didn-" Jaune's eyes widened, realizing why he hadn't heard Coco's minigun for a while. "Move!" He pushed against Velvet quickly, moving backwards as Yastuhashi's massive sword cleaved the rock they'd been using for cover. Once the rock was split, the massive boy's head swiveled towards him as Jaune kept backpedaling.

The blond then heard that skin-prickling whirl. For a moment he doubted they could pull it off, before he turned away from the mountain of a man bearing down on him, holding his shield between himself and Coco, crouching for maximum coverage.

He couldn't even count the seconds before the bullets began to rattle against his shield, numbing his arm with the powerful, successive impacts. If he had to choose between trying to block Coco's minigun and trying to block a swing of Nora's hammer, he knew which one would be easier.

Jaune took a moment to glance back in Yatsuhashi's direction, seeing Velvet swinging something large, bright, and blue at him. He could trust her to keep the big guy off his back.

The hail of rounds striking against his shield, Jaune smiled. Was using his shield to protect himself against a barrage of bullets going to become something he did on a regular basis?

The blond kept his balance as best he could while putting one leg behind him, foot digging into the mud. Adjusting the angle of his shield as he leaned forwards, the boy put one foot in front of the other, pushing forward against Coco's assault. He could swear he heard the girl yell something over the pinging noises, but it was distorted.

Jaune's feet found purchase beneath him, and he ran forwards, shield held strong against the stream of metal. The sound of the shots firing got louder as he pushed through, and the boy lowered his shoulder, ready to careen into CFVY's leader.

The rapid pings of the bullets hitting his shield stopped, while the numb feeling in his arm remained. He peeked over the lip of his shield, realizing he'd made a grave mistake as he saw Coco's handbag at eye level for but a moment. His entire world was flipped upside down and turned inside out, his head echoing with pain.

When he finally had the wherewithal to open his eyes again, he took in a gasping breath, before spitting quickly, the earth that somehow found its way in his mouth leaving forcefully. He peeled his face from the mud, feeling it caked with the wet ground. He blinked more rapidly, his head still spinning.

When had he...?

Jaune pushed himself up, grabbing Crocea Mors after seeing it laying in the mud just within his reach, his hand gripping its slick handle. He suppressed a coming sneeze, and assessed the small clearing around him. A clearing that was unfamiliar to him.

A clearing that was fresh.

The sound of metal striking metal – weapons clashing – hit his ears, and he began to move in that direction. It wasn't something so cliché as him having forgot what he was doing, like those times when someone was knocked unconscious in Ninjas of Love. He knew exactly what he'd been doing. He pushed his way between a couple of trees, seeing the bodies moving through the gaps.

Jaune emerged in another clearing. The first three people he noticed were the ones fighting in the middle of the clearing. Yatsuhashi pushed back, sending Fox flying, before being forced to block an incoming kick from Velvet.

"What..." Jaune breathed, looking around the clearing. "...Where's Coco?" He hadn't seen Goodwitch in a while either.

Then, he saw them.

Standing beneath a particularly large tree, not to far away, was his mentor, her arms crossed as she watched the fight unfolding before her. Behind her, sitting up against the trunk of the very same tree, was Coco, the girl fiddling with her beret as she held it in her hands.

Jaune pointed Crocea Mors out towards them, and waited, standing in the rain.

"You were eliminated." Goodwitch called out, not looking over. At the professor's words, Coco looked up in his direction, and waved him over.

Sighing at receiving confirmation of his loss, the blond sheathed his sword and walked over. He'd sort of figured it was the case, but he didn't feel satisfied. He didn't feel like he'd given it his all.

"You did a damn good job for a first year, kiddo." Coco called out as he walked over. "Caught me by surprise with that last charge there."

"Wasn't very effective, though." Jaune offered in a vague sense of protest, deflating more. "You knocked me flat."

"It takes a lot of effort to swing this thing around, as much as I try and make it look easy." She patted the... mini-bag? bag-gun? that was at her side. "Besides, it wasn't like your efforts were wasted or anything. Fox took me out right after."

Jaune heard gunshots, and turned back to the ongoing fight. Fox was still using Horizon, Jaune surprised that he still had ammunition for but a second, until he noticed the pouch slung from the guy's hip. A hand went down reactively, finding that, yes indeed, Fox had taken his pouch.

Taking a moment to more closely examine the fight... the three left standing looked tired. Yatsuhashi knocked Velvet back with the flat of his sword, the girl tumbling through the mud until she rose to her feet, breathing heavily.

Wait...

"You weren't taken out, Miss Goodwitch." Jaune said matter-of-factly, not turning from the ensuing fight.

"I refuse to comment." She answered succinctly

Jaune just shook his head lightly, watching as Yatsuhashi blocked a couple of shots from Fox with the flat of his blade as the dark-skinned boy closed the distance. Once Fox got close enough, he swung around with his left hand, catching the edge of Yatsuhashi's counter attack with one of his arm-blades.

Twisting his arm and back, Fox pulled Yatsuhashi's blade down, jamming the point in the mud as far as he could. Jaune's eyes went wide as Fox pointed Horizon down.

Horizon fired as Fox flipped back, the area around Yatsuhashi igniting in a roaring blaze before it quickly died down in the heavy rain. It didn't look very effective on the surface, as Yatsuhashi was still standing strong, the broadside of his blade having taken the brunt of the blast, but it was the closest they'd gotten to having their initial plan work – and Coco was already out.

Yatsuhashi looked at Fox from beyond his sword's hilt, and took a step forward.

When he went to pull his blade from the baked earth, and it refused to budge, Jaune looked skyward in silent thanks to whatever gods were out there. Velvet ran forwards, Jaune seeing what Yatsuhashi could not. When the larger boy began to turn, the rabbit faunus was already in the air, spinning.

The length of the girl's leg collided with Yatsuhashi's head, and the boy was flipped from the force, falling face first in the mud. Jaune cringed in solidarity as he heard the older student groan from where he was standing. That _had_ to hurt.

"Oh, he's going to feel that one for weeks." Coco noted, Jaune nodding in agreement.

With Yatsuhashi down, Fox mounted his back, putting the edge of his arm-blade to his neck.

It was over.

"The match is over." Goodwitch called out, mirroring Jaune's thoughts.

"Yes! Thank you!" Velvet yelled, throwing her arms in the air, before collapsing to her knees, and then falling onto her back in the mud. Goodwitch started to walk towards the group, Coco standing up to do the same as Jaune followed them.

"Oh, right. Here." Coco turned, tossing him Aquila. "First time seeing that up close. Fancy stuff. I went out and got it after Fox took me out."

"Thanks." Jaune returned Aquila to his back, more thankful she'd returned it to him than for the compliment. He really was thankful: The longer it spent out in the rain and mud, honestly, the more he felt bad about it. As if he'd affronted it somehow.

Maybe that was just Ruby rubbing off on him.

"Nice try, Yats." Coco said as Fox helped the big guy back up, the girl offering Velvet a hand herself. "Looks like JWYN has quite the tactician, doesn't it?"

Now that compliment caused Jaune to blush a little, rubbing the back of his wet head.

"Well." Goodwitch began, everyone present turning to her. "For a three against two match where you assumed you had a disadvantage, that wasn't a bad performance."

Jaune's face scrunched up in confusion. "Three against two?"

"I didn't participate aside from throwing that log at your team at the start of the match." Goodwitch continued. "I put the idea in your head that you'd be at a massive disadvantage, and you acted accordingly. You fought an uphill battle against a force that was – numbers wise – weaker than yours."

Jaune nodded in false understanding. "Why?"

"To put you under pressure." Yatsuhashi answered, scraping the mud from his face. "...this stuff gets _everywhere_."

Velvet sneezes cutely, rubbing a hand across her own, slightly dirty face. "Fox and I didn't know that..."

"I told them after we'd split into our groups, and I gave you time to strategize." The professor confirmed. "You reacted and performed as I expected."

"And that means...?"

Goodwitch tilted her head at Jaune's urging. "That's a good thing."

Jaune let out a breath of relief at that.

"In a week's time, you and your team will meet me at the training ground. CFVY, report to my office tomorrow morning. You're all dismissed."

Jaune and the members of CFVY watched Goodwitch turn and stalk away, the rain falling around them as they were so quickly dismissed. As appeared to be standard practice, everyone waited until the woman left the clearing before they started griping.

"Everything is cold and wet." Yatsuhashi stated plainly.

"We can finally get out this rain..." Fox sighed. He walked over, his hair disheveled as he held Horizon out for Jaune to take. "Here."

Velvet sneezed again, and looked down at her clothes. "I'm _covered_ in mud. I swear I weigh five pounds more than usual. Let's head back."

"We should all get inside." Coco agreed.

Jaune just stood there in slight wonder, as they began to walk back, himself following a little behind. They weren't going to talk about the fight at all?

"That _hurt_ , Velvet."

Ahh, there it was.

"What do you think has more force? My kicks or Coco's purse? You weren't knocked unconscious from my kick."

At Velvet's words, Coco looked back towards Jaune. The boy met her covered eyes with a tilt of his head. "You okay there, cupcake?" She asked.

The blond blinked a couple times. "Cupcake...?"

"She gives everyone nicknames once she knows them." Fox answered. "She likes to have fun with them. I'm surprised she gave you something so affectionate."

"Really?"

"My nickname used to be 'Big Guy'." Yatsuhashi stated.

"She's been calling me Bun-Bun for weeks."

"I'm still Prick." Fox said dryly. "Since day one."

"Ouch." Jaune offered in sympathy, a smile on his face.

"Tell me about it."

"Hey!" Coco protested. "I'm trying to be generous."

"Try better." Yatsuhashi said in a straight tone.

Everyone turned to look at Jaune as he snorted in laughter. The blond met their eyes, and in the falling rain, he began laughing.

"What?"

"You guys are great!"

That got him an array of smiles, before Velvet began to giggle, followed by the low, rumbling laugh of Yatsuhashi. Coco and Fox joined in their merriment shortly after.

* * *

Goodwitch smiled to herself as she stood behind a nearby tree, the leaves above providing her respite from the rain as she watched Jaune and CFVY leave the clearing, laughing amongst themselves as they began to make their way towards Beacon. A part of her wanted to go and get the drop on them, ignoring their surroundings as they were, but she figured she would relent this once.

They'd just finished putting each other through hell, after all.

The blonde professor pushed off from the tree, turning to the small clearing. The discarded casings from the shots of Jaune's rifle, while Fox had been using it. An empty vial of Dust Velvet had used. The lines in the mud where Yatsuhashi's blade had slashed filling with water.

The sound of the student's laughter faded. She crossed the clearing, adding her own footprints to the chaotic ground until she reached the treeline. She pushed through the wet shrubs, finding them only the slightest inconvenience.

Goodwitch eventually broke through into another clearing – the one that had practically been cleared by the fighting. There were still tree stumps scattered throughout, the tops looking like they'd been chewed off by a ravenous beast, or in this case, Coco's minigun.

She supposed they could still be children for a while longer... but they would be _Hunters_.

A lone Beowolf entered the clearing from the other side, and Goodwitch impaled it on one of the thinner stumps, quickly and efficiently.

She would make them the best.

* * *

 **And that's it for this little chapter. It may not seem like much, but there's little things to pick up here and there that are important. As is the beauty of the limited PoVs.**

 **As for why this chapter may not seem like much? Pardon my language, but we're going to be getting into the shit now. Prepare yourselves. Let me know what you think in a review or PM. Don't forget to wipe.**

 **Later.**


	36. War and Cheese

**Heya everyone. Here to bring you another chapter of Technician.**

 **Nobody knows what this is. Looking over it, sometimes I wonder if I even wrote it. It exists, and as such, is as it has to be.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"I just want to buy a most likely overpriced bottle of totally not alcoholic maple syrup, but no..."_

* * *

Lily Arc let out a long, weary sigh, tapping the toe of her shoe against the floor as she stood outside the office door. She didn't know why she was there, though she could make a few educated guesses: After the last class of the day, when everyone was being handed out their midterm results, she hadn't gotten hers. The substitute teacher for the day – a rarity – had then told her to report to this office after class, after which she was to wait outside.

No, that wasn't suspicious at all.

She could hear the chattering of a girl's voice from inside, as well as the gruff, deeper responses from the man she was supposed to be meeting. The girl tried to relax, but only managed to stress herself out more.

Was this still fallout from when she'd bopped Cotton on the nose? That was almost two weeks ago, and she'd already apologized to her friend on her own. She hadn't meant to intentionally injure the girl, it had just sorta... happened. She'd realized it now, just how fed up with everything she had been at the time, and the way she just sorta... snapped.

She took in a deep breath, adjusting her stance as she leaned against the wall, tapping a finger against it softly. Her punishment – or rather, the punishment that had been given to her the day of – for punching Cotton had been humbling, but quite lenient in her opinion: She had to help out the janitorial staff for a couple of days, staying late into the evening to do so.

It was meant as a punishment, but aside from taking away her free time, her time spent with the people who kept their school clean and operating as usual really wasn't one. She asked questions, got answers – and above all else, learned to seriously respect what they did for the students and staff of Signal.

The girl pulled a few strands her black hair that fell into her face, and put them behind her ear. She didn't think she could ever be a janitor, though. Too boring. She huffed in annoyance as she had to swipe her hair to the side again, not a moment later. Perhaps it was time for a haircut?

The door next to her popped open, Lily not having been prepared for it whatsoever. She jumped in place, taking a step back as she brought a hand to her chest, holding the other against the wall. Some girl she assumed to be from an older year walked out with a frown, passing Lily without so much as a glance in her direction.

The Arc girl watched her as she stalked away, clearly not satisfied with something she and the teacher had talked about. It wasn't until he heard the clearing of a throat behind her that she turned to the man standing there.

 _This is Mr. Xiao Long_?

The tall blond man smiled down at her, holding the door open. "Lily Arc, right?"

Lily nodded, a half-hearted smile on her face as she thought again about why she had to meet with him. "That's me."

"Nice to meet you." The man started. There was an expression on his face that she couldn't quite place, staring into her eyes a for moment before he nodded, pushing the door open wider and holding it for her. "Come on in and have a seat. I'll be right with you."

Lily entered, nodding gratefully to the man, before looking around as the door clicked closed behind her. She was alone in the room. She strode forward, finding it quite homey for an office. There were two chairs seated before the desk, with a larger one behind it – obviously for the teacher himself. Shelves lined the wall behind where he sat, most of them filled with old looking books, but one she spotted appeared to hold a few picture frames.

Unable to abate her curiosity, the girl looked back at the closed door, before stepping around the desk. Just a quick look, then she'd sit.

Her eyes were drawn to one particular picture as she moved closer, and they glued to it for a moment: Mr. Xiao Long with two young girls. One looked to be his daughter, Yang – Lily remembering Jaune introducing her to him after their fight – and another girl, wearing a black dress-kinda thing and a red cloak.

Lily looked into the latter girl's eyes, and was admittedly creeped out by how similar they looked. Not even just their eyes: The girl had a similar face shape, and apart from the faint red tint, the shade of their hair was almost the same as well. She shook her head, before moving on to other pictures, though she kept glancing back to the red-cloaked girl. There was something she was forgetting...

 _Ah_! _Ruby's her name_! _Ivy told me about her_. Lily nodded, filing that away in the back of her head for later. _Ruby..._ _Ruby..._

As she repeated the girl's name in her head, she looked among the other pictures there. One of them seemed to be a young, handsome-looking Mr. Xiao Long. Not that he wasn't handsome now, but...

She did, however, find another image that caught her attention – perhaps even more so than the first one. It was a group photo, with Mr. Xiao Long standing in the center with one arm looped around the shoulders of whom she recognized as Mr. Branwen, another teacher at Signal.

The other arm was looped around the waist of her father. A younger looking version of her father, but him nonetheless.

Lily backed away, chewing her lip as she thought back, trying to remember if he'd ever said anything about the guy. What she did end up remembering was seeing the two talking at Jaune's graduation – along with her mother. Then she'd been pulled away by Jaune to be introduced to Yang, as she recalled.

She sat in the chair, as she was supposed to, and pressed her legs together as she got comfortable. As time passed, she thought more and more about her predicament; she was almost certain it had nothing to do with hitting Cotton, as that was long since resolved... but there was nothing else she could think of that warranted a visit to Mr. Xiao Long's office.

 _Aside from my midterm..._

She noticed her foot tapping against the floor again, and pressed it down against the rug, stopping it from continuing.

The door clicked open behind her, and she heard the sound of two pairs of feet stalking towards her. She turned to the right, watching Mr. Xiao Long walk by, before turning to her left, and the mustached man who sat in the chair next to her.

"Dad?!" She let out in surprise, her heart leaping into her throat.

The older man smiled softly down at her, before reaching over and ruffling her hair. She smacked his hand away with a growl, annoyed that she now had to tuck it behind her ears again, and went about doing so.

Why was he here?

"How are you, little flower?" Lily blushed at the nickname he'd used when she was younger, looking away from him. She saw Mr. Xiao Long smile a little as he sat in his own chair, and felt her cheeks heat up even more.

"I'm fine..." She let out, taking in a breath. Her mind was whirling. She really, really didn't know why he was here. Was that little altercation and her time spent with the janitors just a prelude to an even harsher punishment? One that her father needed to be informed of?

The girl's eyes focused on the teacher before her, and he noticed the way his eyes went to her for but a moment, tenting his fingers on the desk. He seemed to be waiting for something.

"Why am I here, Tai?" Her dad asked, Mr. Xiao Long's eyes moving to his. Even her father didn't know yet? A pit grew in her stomach, and she grew nauseous at the thought that he'd be disappointed in her. "I have a good idea though, that's for sure."

The instructor before them nodded slowly. "Yeah, it is in part with the incident a couple weeks ago, if that's what you're wondering."

Her father nodded along. Then he _did_ know?

Lily shrunk into her seat at that. She was sure she'd get a talking to later.

"But..." The blond professor continued. "It's more the steps the school took in response – her teacher in particular." The man reached for a folder on his desk – one that literally had her name on it. How the hell had she not noticed that, when she'd been alone in his office? He opened it up, pulled out a booklet, and passed it to her father.

A moment passed as Aurum Arc flipped through the pages. Lily sat there, staring at him, until she noticed the title of the booklet, recognizing it as the test they'd taken at the beginning of the week: their midterm exam.

She didn't even know how well she'd done yet! Some of those questions were really hard, and took some serious thought. Now her dad was seeing her results before she did? What if she'd failed? What if her father was looking at _her_ failure? She tensed up, barely able to breathe.

"What the _hell_?"

Her father's words took what little air was left in her lungs. She'd failed, hadn't she.

"Quite." Mr. Xiao Long tacked on. "Mr. Bore has, as such, been summarily dismissed from his position here at Signal."

…

Wait...

"What?" Lily let out, sitting up in her seat. "Why?" It wasn't like he was a bad teacher or anything. He was just... he was Mr. Bore...

Was that why there had been a substitute today?

Mr. Xiao Long and her father ignored her. "We're lucky we even caught this at all. The grade she got on her test wasn't initially indicative of any kind of foul play on Mr. Bore's part. We only reviewed her results because they were the lowest in her entire year. It's standard procedure."

Lily blinked, then felt like withering in her seat. The lowest score of all the first years?

Her father flipped through yet more pages, before pausing and scanning. "Lily, what's the Theory of Form?"

Okay, _that_ was easy. "Presented by Augustus Folly a few years after the end of the Great War, it was the idea that all Dust is actually the same at the base level, and only the factors of the environment it's found in determine the properties we can actually harness."

"Ri-"

"But the Theory of Form was disproven years later, when miners found Dust with harnessable properties in an environment Augustus described as being unable to produce them. This became known as..." Lily trailed off, both the teacher and her father staring at her. "Augustus' Folly." She finished, feeling like shrinking into her seat.

"Lily..." Her father let out after a moment. "Where did you learn a third-year topic?"

"From a third-year textbook."

"Why were you reading a third-year textbook?" Mr. Xiao Long interjected.

"Because I was done reading the first- and second-year ones."

Her father and the blond professor shared a look at that. Her dad motioned to rub his temples, and sighed. "Parenting isn't easy, is it?"

"I can't imagine even having had one more. I don't know how the hell you do it."

 _I'm sitting right here_... _and I still don't know what's going on_!

"Okay, what's going on? The lowest mark of all the first years? I didn't do that badly, did I?" She began to shake in her seat. Was this some kind of karmic retribution for bopping Cotton on the nose?

"You mean you don't actually follow what we're saying?" Her father asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No!" Lily half-whined. She felt frustrated, and scared, and...

She took a deep breath, calming herself as she looked up into her dad's eyes.

"I'll explain." Mr. Xiao Long said, turning to face her fully as she looked to him. Lily adjusted her posture, putting her hands on her lap as she straightened her back, looking into the teacher's eyes. She envisioned the way she sat now to be not unlike how a prissy rich girl would in a movie – the kind who always gets what she wants. She didn't know what drove her to adopt such a proper posture, other than that it felt natural under the teacher's gaze. A muffled chuckle came from her left, and Lily glared at her father.

"I suppose the simplest explanation is that you were given a test well above your current year." Mr. Xiao Long stated, gesturing towards the exam she'd taken, which her father was still holding. "We have cause to believe that Mr. Bore did this out of some kind of spite towards you – given the altercations, and the absences, and the tardiness..." Lily shrunk into her seat further with each word. "It isn't unlikely that Mr. Bore took exception, and figured you needed to be... taught a lesson, so to speak.

"While we don't exactly discourage it, doing so on something as important as your midterm – and replacing said midterm with last year's fourth-year graduation exam – was too severe to overlook." Mr. Xiao Long summarized. "That said, it has shed some light on a few things that had gone unnoticed."

Lily nodded along dumbly, thinking she understood what the teacher was getting at. She didn't think that was something Mr. Bore would have done, however. She couldn't picture the ratty looking man doing- oh, no... she totally could. That asshole.

"So I did the worst because I was given the wrong test?" She asked hopefully.

"Essentially."

A snort resounded from the chair next to her, and she renewed her glare at her old man. But his eyes were hard, looking back at her. There were a variety of emotions that seemed to flash across his face, but the eyes themselves didn't change.

She couldn't read them. She couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Your score was the worst out of the first years, yes..." Mr. Xiao Long started again, the girl turning back to face him once more. "But the average of the first years' scores was remarkably high this year. You – with the lowest mark – managed to squeeze out a seventy-one. A passing grade."

"A passing grade on a fourth-year _graduation_ exam." Her father... hissed?

She finally understood.

"Oh..."

Lily felt proud – overwhelmingly proud, but she kept her feelings to herself, the somber atmosphere forcing her to hold her outburst in. She looked to her father, and then to Mr. Xiao Long, who were both busy staring each other down.

"That's why I'm here." Her father started, the man shuffling slightly in his seat.

"It can only be done with parental permission... and you already know how I feel about it."

"Quite."

She actually had an idea what they were talking about.

"Would you like me to leave and give you time to talk about it?" Mr. Xiao Long offered. Her father nodded in response. At that, the blond teacher stood, and made his way over to the office door.

"I'll be waiting outside, so just give the door a knock when you're done."

The door clicked closed, and Lily couldn't meet her father's eyes again. She knew what she wanted, and she knew what he didn't want.

"You are _not_ graduating this early. I will not budge on that."

"I'm aware, dad." She didn't even consider that a possibility in any sense of the word.

"Good. That's one thing I don't have to worry about. Your mother would have spited me for the rest of our days if I let you do that." The man ran a hand through his long black hair – its tone the same as her own. "I knew you were motivated, but to actually pass a final exam, three and a half years early?"

"I'm more shocked than you are, trust me." Lily let out a shuddering breath. Her mind was still scrambling. "What..."

The girl took a deep breath in, meeting her father's eyes.

"What are my options?"

* * *

"It is so. Hot." Came the first voice from behind him.

"Scorching hot." Said the next.

"I mean, even _I'm_ considering jumping in a pool right now. So long as it's only ankle-deep. It's pretty damn hot."

Sun Wukong sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning around to walk backwards as he stared down his team. "Come on, guys, it's really not that bad, is it? I mean, look at Mercury. Do you see what he's wearing?" The monkey faunus gestured to the boy walking beside him, dressed in his combat attire that looked like it was absolute _murder_ on a sweltering day like today. "He hasn't said anything once. Look. At. What. He's. Wearing."

Neptune's arm raised slightly, and Sun cut his partner off before he could say anything. "Okay, Nep, your jacket actually looks like it would be really freaking hot, so I'll give you that. But _you two_." He turned to look at Scarlet and Sage. "Sage, you're topless like me underneath your jacket. You totally could have just left it back in our room."

"If I did, we'd have a train of girls about a mile long following us. Do we really want that?"

Sun shook his head, conceding the point even as Neptune said "Yes". The blond looked pointedly to Scarlet.

"I don't want a sunburn. You don't want a repeat of what happened during our first year, do you?" Scarlet pointed out, the team collectively wincing as they all shared in the unpleasant memory.

Sun sighed, conceding that point as well. "Well, regardless, we're almost to the cafeteria where we're going to be meeting the guys. It'll be nice and cool in there."

Ever since arriving at Beacon nearly an entire month ago, Sun had ample time to explore the Valean academy's grounds – or at least, where he was allowed to, having arrived so early. He knew the massive cafeteria hall was air conditioned, and should have a nice, refreshing chill the moment they passed through those doors. Walking alongside the building, he honestly had to admit, he was more than a little excited for his team to meet his new friends.

"So, I mean you haven't really stopped talking about them the whole time, but are these guys really that cool?"

Sun turned to Neptune and beamed a toothy grin. "These guys are _cooler_ than cool, my dude."

"Cooler than me?" The boy tilted his head, giving his hair a flip, then revealing his shining white teeth.

"...You can be the judge of that." Sun deferred, turning back to watch where he was walking, narrowly avoiding running into some guy wearing a Beacon uniform.

"Guys..." Sun could practically hear Neptune's pout. "He hesitated..."

"It's alright. At least it wasn't a straight up no." Scarlet comforted.

"Might as well have been..."

The blond faunus shook his head smiling, before turning to Mercury. "You've been pretty quiet. Something on your mind, buddy?"

The younger teen turned towards him, humming. After a moment, the corner of his mouth twisted up into a grin.

"It's pretty hot."

Sun groaned, even as his three teammates behind him echoed out various forms of "I told you so", ten times more energetic than they had been a moment before when they'd simply been complaining about the heat.

"You're a real dick, you know that?" Sun said jokingly, before turning and hushing his teammates behind him, stopping before the cafeteria's doors. "Quiet guys! We don't want to make a scene, do we? We've already got a target painted on our backs for making it to the singles' rounds last time."

There were a trio of nods from his team, and a slight tilt of confirmation from Mercury – respectful, even though he wasn't a member of their team – still a echo of a grin on his face.

"So just... act normal, alright?" Sun turned, pushing the double doors of the cafeteria hall open.

A hellscape welcomed him.

Tables upended, cafeteria trays and food scattered all about. Standing top one of the tables – nay, and entire stack of tables – there was an orange-haired girl in what appeared to be Beacon's uniform, cackling maniacally, before letting out a growl that seemed to resound across the entire cafeteria hall.

" _Heathens_!" She shouted, her voice echoing to where Sun and his team entered, though her comment was not directed towards them. Even at this distance, he could see that her eyes were fixated on a group of four, somewhere at the midway point of the hall. "A disgrace such as this... your ideals are rotten to their very core! I will never forgive such injustice, Team Peanut Butter!"

"It's Team Pearl, Nora..."

"Ren?! You're siding with the heretics?! How could you?!"

Had he... missed something?

Out of the corner of Sun's eye, he saw a waving hand sticking up above an overturned table, and then, a moment later, four of them, all beckoning him over. He looked back to his team and Mercury, nodded in the direction of the table, and then ran towards it, dropping to the floor and sliding behind the cover – but not before grabbing an unpeeled banana as he went.

"Sun! Thank goodness you're safe." Cardin whispered, putting a hand on the monkey faunus' shoulder as he rose to a knee. In all the time he'd spent with the guy over the duration of his stay at Beacon, the blond had never seen him this frightened. "Your team is here? They're okay?"

As if on cue, Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage all scurried over, crouching just enough behind the table that they could still see over it. A moment later, Mercury joined them, a slice of pizza in hand. His not-teammate certainly had the right idea. Sun looked down to the banana, and forwent eating it in favor of peeking over the table.

At some point, a redheaded girl had climbed up onto one of the ground level tables, and pointed... a loaf of bread? A baguette? Whatever it was, she pointed it at the orange-haired girl who'd been shouting earlier. "We are not heathens! Our ideals are not twisted, nor are they rotting! They are truth! And that truth is that cereal and milk is the superior breakfast meal!"

"Yeah, you tell them, Pyrrha!" A girl wearing a red cloak along with her uniform urged on.

"These guys are crazy!" Sage started, CRDL shushing him a moment after.

Behind where Sun was crouched, Mercury cleared his throat. "What the hell is going on, exactly?"

Sun turned just in time to see Russel shaking his head, his mohawk waving with the motion. "We don't know when it started, but we ran for cover the moment Dove here took a pineapple to the head-"

"I tried to dodge, it _followed_ me..."

"-but we can't afford to not watch this fight." Russel finished, peeking up over the table again. "They may be from Beacon just like we are, but they're probably going to be our toughest competition if we end up facing off against them."

"There's going to be a fight?" Scarlet asked.

All four members of CRDL turned to look at the redhead as if he'd grown a second redhead. "Of course there's going to be a fight..." Carding chuckled.

"I recognize that girl." Mercury pointed out. "Pyrrha Nikos."

Sun nodded along, looking at the aforementioned girl, currently standing defiantly atop her table. "Yeah, I doubt there's anyone in Mistral who doesn't know her. Four time champion, including that really controversial victory..."

"Kinda shocked the kingdom when she decided not to attend Haven, too." Neptune added.

Sun hummed, looking at the three other girls around the table Pyrrha Nikos stood on. Aside from the one wearing the red cloak, there was one with black hair and a bow covering some kind of ears – definitely a faunus, from what he could tell. The last girl had long black hair as well, tied back into a ponytail. For some reason, she was wearing Beacon's male uniform, but whatever floated her boat, Sun supposed. That must have been Team... Pearl, as that one girl – Ren, Sun recalled – had said.

He looked across the room, though the team there was harder to see from that distance. Aside from the maniac cackling atop the tower of tables, there looked to be a white-haired girl, a blonde girl with messy long hair, and another blond girl with shorter hair – also wearing Beacon's male uniform. If they had any other discerning characteristics, he couldn't tell from that distance.

The boy began to slowly peel his banana, watching the standoff with a trained eye.

* * *

Jaune had no idea what was going on, but he was prepared for whatever it was.

As the blond stood there, arms crossed in a defiant stance as Nora spewed her craziness from above, he turned his head to look at Weiss. The heiress looked back to him, standing similarly, her eyes wide as she stared. She seemed... almost frightened, in her expression.

The boy nodded solemnly. Yes, this was really happening. It was happening ever since Pyrrha responded in kind to Nora, pointing the baguette at her in marked defiance. Jaune clicked his tongue, bending down to pick up another whole pineapple. He mouthed a single word to Weiss, clutching his wrist, and prepared for the fight of his life.

 _Please don't end up against Pyrrha, please don't end up against Pyrrha._

He looked over to Yang, the girl grinning madly. Jaune wasn't sure she had already been like that, or if the madness was just infectious. If so, he planned on staying as far away from Yang, Ruby, Nora, Pyrrha...

Hell, he didn't even have to fight, did he? The blond relaxed his posture, and moved to take a step to the side.

Nora landed right beside him, the ground practically shaking from the impact. The girl stepped towards him, put a hand on his shoulder, and flashed a confident grin at him.

"I'm relying on you." She spoke, her words filled with the very verbalization of trust. "Start us off."

"Y-you got it, boss." He responded in kind. Now there was no feasible way he could leave the fight to the rest of his team. He was in for the whole shebang.

And that meant he needed a plan. He looked at the team arrayed across from them, Pyrrha saying something to Blake. If he had to guess, he assumed they'd try to pare them down, one by one.

Luckily, he had a counterplan to their assumed plan. He signaled to Yang with his hand, catching the girl's nod when he flashed her three fingers. He then turned to Weiss, and did the same, but with only two fingers following it up.

 _Dammit_.

Jaune took a step forwards once Nora stepped to the side. "You take Ren. Keep him away from the others." He said, tossing his pineapple towards the redheaded girl standing atop the table, where she'd been for the past minute or so. It arced, fell, and was brutalized by the baguette Pyrrha held in her hands. Even a length of ten tables down, the girl met his eyes with her own piercing green.

 _Double dammit_.

The redhead raised her baguette over her head, then pointed it forward. "Charge!" She shouted, and began running down the long stretch of tables, likely intent on claiming his head. As she did, Jaune turned his head from left to right, looking for something – _anything –_ he could possibly use to defend himself. He took a step back, and something clattered at his feet, Nora jumping to intercept Ren.

He only had a moment to glance down to see what it was. "It's going to have to do!" He kicked at the metal tray, popping it up into his hands just in time to deflect Pyrrha's bread-lunge to the side. He took a step back and to the side as he did so, holding the thin sheet of metal between his hands, noticing it bend slightly where Pyrrha struck. His eyes widened as he noted the baguette was still intact.

"I knew the bread was hard but _come_ _on_!" Jaune tossed the tray at Pyrrha, and the girl caught it in one hand. Jaune groaned at his own stupidity in arming the girl with what was effectively her weapons in bread and tray form. The redheaded girl moved, and Jaune was forced to step back as the baguette landed... point-first?... in the cement flooring, cracking it as it lodged itself where his foot had just been.

He needed to take his own advice, and arm himself – _fast._

The boy ran straight towards a table that was still upright, taking note of the floor, red and slick with what he could honestly only hope was ketchup. He bent his legs and dropped to his side, sliding through the red liquid. Something caught his eye, and he reached out for it, popping up to his feet on the other side of the table, his back no doubt stained and slick with the ketchup.

Pyrrha jumped up onto the table then lashed out, lunging at him as she leapt off of it. The Arc boy held up his bounty, and winced at the sickening squelch of the impact. The tip of the baguette had just barely made it through the wheel of cheese he'd held up, but he twisted and yanked back, veritably disarming Pyrrha as he did so, the bread and cheese stuck together.

As far as weapons made by smashing two different foods together and praying, it wasn't half bad. He flipped it around, his fingers greasy from holding the cheese, and gripped the bread. It wasn't exactly a weapon of his choosing – it seemed like something Cardin would use, were he in the same situation – but it was better than nothing. When life gives you a baguette and a wheel of cheese, make a mace out of them. Or something.

Jaune roared as he stepped towards Pyrrha, bringing his cheese mace down in an overhead strike. The girl raised her tray to meet his blow, but it had been weakened from when she had attacked him first, when he'd been its owner, bending around his strike. Pyrrha dropped the tray, and retreated, but Jaune pressed the attack – or rather, tried to, slipping on the dropped tray when he made to pursue.

The blond used his cheese and bread as a support as he rose to a knee a moment later, shaking his head. Upon standing, he took a moment to survey the battlefield around him, taking note of where Pyrrha ducked behind an overturned table. He didn't pursue immediately, waiting patiently.

A quiet, overly high-pitched warcry forced him to turn his eyes elsewhere though: Yang was currently facing down Ruby, not too far away from where Pyrrha retreated to. His cousin charged at the blonde girl, but Yang ducked at the last second, going for Ruby's legs. The younger, smaller girl went tumbling into a table, splitting it in two as she crashed through it. She rose from the remains, and stepped forward, using... _something_ as a support, the dust having not yet settled.

He turned towards his partner to see she stood atop a small stack of tables, then turning back to Ruby, the girl looking up at Yang with a…

 _Where did that come from?!_

What the hell was a candy cane that big doing in the cafeteria anyway?

"It's over Ruby! I have the high ground!"

"You underestimate my power!"

The sounds of the battles ensuing behind him were drowned out as he watched that fateful scene. Ruby leapt high in the air, attempting to flip over Yang. It was in that moment that Jaune noticed the younger girl's one mistake: her cloak, flapping in the air, completely covered her face as she twisted, unable to see when Yang threw a strong right, her turkey-covered fist smashing through the candy cane. The force of the blow sent Ruby through another table, breaking it in half as well.

Yang panted heavily from where she stood atop her own personal stack of tables, looking down at Ruby as the girl crawled out from the splintered wood of the table she collided with. The blonde looked like she was heartbroken. "You were my sister, Ruby! I loved you!"

 _Alright, that's enough of that_. Jaune turned away from the scene, trusting the sisters to be able to look after themselves. He couldn't see Pyrrha, though the girl hadn't moved from behind the overturned table; he'd have caught it in his peripheral if she had. His eyes lingered on where she was for a moment, turning to see Ren and Nora were fighting on the far side of the hall. It didn't look like Ren's heart was in it, and Nora's blows were also clumsily knocked aside.

He considered who else was left, before turning to the other ensuing fight: Weiss and Blake.

Where Weiss managed to find a swordfish was ultimately unknown to him, but he noted that it was probably the most dangerous of all the food wielded – the exception being the links of sausage that Blake sent whipping towards Weiss, Jaune reasoning that they would be the most dangerous if _consumed_.

Weiss dodged to the side, but wasn't able to fully avoid the sausage whip – a few links wrapped around her wrist, and Jaune watched as Blake yanked, Weiss dropping her weapon to try to unwind the meat tubes from her arm.

Jaune dashed forward: if Pyrrha wasn't going to take action, he would. This didn't need to be a set of one on ones, and he'd take every opportunity he got. The blond swung his cheese mace at Blake, passing through the girl with minimal effort – _her semblance_.

Blake glared at him from atop a nearby table, though she seemed unarmed now. She must have had to drop the sausages in order to dodge his atta-

The black-haired girl was struck in the face with the sausage she'd just been using. The impact made a loud slapping noise, the links retreating a moment later. Jaune blinked in surprise, even as Blake's hand went up to her face, touching it gingerly. "Ow..."

Both of them turned to Weiss, the girl standing there with the sausages coiled up in her grasp. She lashed out again, catching Blake on her side this time.

"Ow! Weiss! That hurts!"

The heiress stepped forwards, swinging her arm up and around, the links of sausage moving with the motion. One of the fleshy tubes barely brushed by Jaune's face, before he saw the end of the long string of meaty goodness smack into Blake once more. He heard a noise of confusion come from Weiss, and turned to her as a smile spread across her face.

"Why does this feel so... right?" The girl pondered, pulling the sausage-whip back and coiling it in her hand again. She looked down at it, then looked up to Jaune. The blond could only shrug in response, before his eyes widened.

"Duck!"

It came too late, and time seemed to slow as he saw the pressurized can of grape soda collide with the side of Weiss' head. It exploded on impact, and sent fizzy purple liquid flying everywhere as the heiress collapsed.

Jaune wasn't even sure when he moved, sliding along the floor to catch the girl as she fell, she looked up at him, the side of her face covered in the carbonated drink. She smiled dumbly. "Oh, Jaune... I'm so sorry... I'd fight for you until my dying breath, but I can't go any further..."

"No! Weiss!" Jaune called out. All the fighting around them stopped – he heard it stop, but yet he didn't. He didn't hear anything but Weiss' gasping breath. Yang came to stand next to them, gasping at what she saw.

The boy cradled her head, feeling her hair damp and sticky with grape drink. Nora joined Yang, and Jaune watched as Weiss closed her eyes, groaning.

"This is going to be a _bitch_ to get out of my hair..."

Jaune felt a tear roll down his cheek, even as Yang gasped. The boy looked up to his partner, to see her tearing up as well. "Did she just... _just_...?"

The blond boy nodded, even as he gently laid the girl's head back onto the floor. A moment passed, and he stood, passing Nora his cheese mace then picking up the fallen Weiss' swordfish.

"The second casualty of grapes today... will their terror ever end?" Nora noted dejectedly.

"They will end..." Jaune pointed the swordfish at the remaining three members of PBRL ahead of him: Ren, Pyrrha, and Blake. "This _will_ end."

Yang and Nora stood alongside him – Yang pounding her turkey clad fists together, with Nora hefting the cheese mace. Across from them, Ren, Pyrrha, and Blake readied their own weapons. Ren, with a pair of leeks. Pyrrha, with a baguette not unlike the first one and a can of soda at the ready. Finally Blake, with a baguette in each hand.

The boy took in a breath, steadied himself, and charged forwards. Nora and Yang moved along with him, the remainder of PBRL matching his challenge.

The needle of the swordfish met with Pyrrha's baguette. Jaune was forced to dodge to the side, breaking their lock when one of Ren's leeks threatened to come down on his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blake narrowly avoid a turkey fist, then caught by the heft of the cheese-mace and sent flying back.

Jaune backed away, keeping the swordfish between himself and his two opponents. Ren attempted to engage next, attacking from Jaune's weak side. The blond backpedaled, catching both leeks along the length of the swordfish. He had to duck the incoming swing from Pyrrha's bread-strike, but in doing so he let up on the pressure against Ren's assault, the lithe boy breaking through his guard, dealing a glancing blow. Jaune twirled the swordfish in his grasp, barely able to renew his block before the boy kicked him, sending him skidding back.

A moment passed, but right when Ren and Pyrrha were about to close in for another attack, one of Yang's turkeys hit the ground between them, forcing them to hold their advance. Blake rejoined her teammates, short a baguette.

"We need to run!" She shouted, pushing Ren and Pyrrha.

Jaune blinked at the black-haired girl's panic, before turning just in time to see Nora falling from the ceiling, a watermelon impaled on what looked to be some kind of pole held above her head, laughing like she was having the time of her life.

The blond simply reacted, diving for cover beneath a table. He'd barely made it out of the way when he heard Pyrrha shriek.

"This wasn't covered in our simulations!"

He felt Nora impact the ground, and heard the screeching voices of Blake, Pyrrha, and _especially_ Ren. He tried to turn and look, but he bumped his head in the process, the light impact stinging before his Aura dulled it.

The blond crawled out from beneath the table, and saw the utter carnage Nora's attack had caused. The entire floor in the area was painted red with the remains of the watermelon, the pole it had been attached to bent in half at the middle where Nora held it. The orange-haired girl stood there, panting for a moment before she collapsed. Across the small clearing, there was a table, painted with the silhouette of Ren, the boy himself laying next to it, unmoving.

Where was Yang? Or Blake? Or Pyrrha?

"Get up!"

The Arc boy felt himself pulled to his feet by Yang, still somewhat dazed. Something round was pressed into his hand, and he gripped it, feeling out the firm flesh.

"What is this?" Jaune asked, holding the odd-looking fruit up at eye-level.

"It's a dragonfruit."

Jaune stared at Yang. "What am I supposed to do with it?" He asked, as if there was anything anyone else would do with food aside from use it as a weapon.

"I dunno, throw it at whoever you see next!" Yang hissed quickly, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Blake and Pyrrha are still in-"

Jaune's partner and girlfriend stopped mid sentence at the sound of both of the girls she mentioned shrieking in fright. They came out running from behind an overturned table, panicked expressions on their faces. Jaune's arm moved faster than his mind did, and the dragonfruit was sent flying.

It caught Blake square between the eyes, the girl dropping like a sack of potatoes at the impact. Pyrrha let out frantic calls of "Truce!" even as the last remaining member of her team fell to the floor, groaning as she curled up into a ball, hands pressed against her face.

The redheaded girl came to a halt before them, panting as she hunched over. When Pyrrha looked up, distressed, Jaune noticed the little bit of whipped cream on her face, and the fresh ketchup stain on her blazer.

"Why agree to a truce when you-"

Jaune hushed Yang quickly, and the girl went silent, though she glared at him in annoyance. In the silence that was otherwise only disturbed by Pyrrha's frantic panting, the blond heard something else.

Footsteps. Powerful, heavy footsteps that couldn't belong to any member of either team – the closest being Nora, and she was on the floor out cold before him. Jaune swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat.

Then he saw it. The grotesque beast rounded the corner, covered in a mixture of whipped cream and ketchup that he imagined would turn his stomach inside out if he were to taste it. It had baguettes for arms, and a watermelon for a head. Its feet were a pair of cheese wheels, both making a sickening squelch when they hit the floor, accompanied by the loud thud.

They had to fight this. They needed to defeat this mass of animated food, or else it would consume them. Jaune frantically looked around for a weapon, unable to find one as he'd dropped his swordfish before diving for cover.

Its head seemed to move, as if regarding them with a cold stare.

They were doomed.

One of the baguette arms moved, and went to the creature's neck, as if threatening them with a cutthroat gesture. But when the breadstick moved away, it had wiped away the white, thick cream, and revealed its true form.

"Students!" The man bellowed. "I'm... so disappointed."

"Professor Port?!"

The instructor let out a hearty laugh, the watermelon falling from where it rested on his head. He threw aside the breadsticks, and shook off the cheese that was stuck to his feet, grumbling as he did the latter. He looked down at Blake, then to Ren, then Nora. The man's gaze went over the faces of Pyrrha and Yang, then finally, the professor's eyes met Jaune's.

"You call _this_ a food fight?"

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Reese cracked an eye open and turned to her teammate and leader, raising an eyebrow. "Hear what?"

"I... don't know." Arslan responded, crossing her arms as her face scrunched up in confusion, sitting cross legged in the shade of the tree they were resting under. "It just sounded like... You know what? I was probably just hearing things."

Reese nodded along, not in agreement, but more in the sense of understanding. That happened to her too, sometimes, especially when she was tired. They'd spent almost all morning running about in Vale, seeing the sights before coming back to Beacon Academy's grounds, and Reese found herself quite drained from the various places they'd gone, personally. It was perfectly acceptable to hear voices that weren't ther- _wait, what am I_ _saying_? _Of course it's not normal_!

The girl felt a chill, shivered, and reflexively pulled her hood further over her head. Why did she suddenly feel so cold? It was scorching out. "Are you sure it was nothing?" Reese asked, looking over towards the many buildings scattered around Beacon Tower. She could honestly say she had a bad feeling, though she wasn't sure what about. All she knew was that her growing appetite had been completely nipped in the bud.

Maybe she was getting sick.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was nothing." Arslan noted.

Reese hummed, before laying back down on the grass, looking up through the leaves of the tree at the sky above.

 _Nothing, huh_? The girl couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong, though.

After a brief moment, Reese propped herself up on her elbows, looking right over at the tree, and the girl leaning up against it, deciding to distract herself with conversation "Did'ya like Vale, Emerald?"

The green-haired girl turned to look at her, a light smile on her face. "Yeah, very different... I guess."

Reese tilted her head at the S in CMSN. "That didn't seem very enthusiastic."

Emerald shrugged. "I'm going back down there with my team later. Sorta just thinking about all the places we were at they might like to see."

"Ooh!" Reese perked up, sitting up fully. "Sounds like fun!"

The girl ignored Arslan's groan, watching Emerald's face as she tilted her head. "What sounds like fun?" The standing girl asked intently, wearing a somewhat puzzled expression.

"I mean, if you're thinking of places your team might like that we checked out, we should talk about it." Reese offered, like it was obvious. "Like, what about that one clothing store we went to? Mint looks like she's into fashion stuff, so maybe that would be a place she'd want to visit?"

Emerald shrugged non-committedly, and Reese continued thinking. She hummed. "What about that diner we went to? That sandwich I had was de-li-cious."

"That was some good food, yes." The girl noted, nodding along.

"Let's see, what else...?" Reese pondered, reaching for her board. She pumped her Aura into it, enabling it before putting behind her knees. She lifted her legs in the air, and began to float a little, hanging from it upside-down. "Anyone on your team like reading? I mean, you didn't go into that bookstore, but it seemed to have quite the selection."

"Mercury reads from time to time, but not really as a hobby." Emerald mentioned, her red eyes looking back at Reese. "What are you...?"

"You've never seen me do this?" Reese asked, using her hands to gesture to how she hung from her board. "It helps me think."

"Right..." Emerald let out.

"It does!" Reese huffed in mock annoyance. "Anyways... anywhere Cinder would like to go? She kinda seems like the indoorsy type and the like. I've hardly seen her outside of classes."

Emerald just shrugged, and Reese shrugged in response, shifting her body weight so she started spinning in place, the world slowly turning around her.

"Reese, quit showing off. Just because you've finally figured out how to adjust it like that, doesn't mean you should do it at every opportunity."

"Sheesh..." Reese slowly stopped spinning, vaguely dizzy as she grabbed her board, holding it steady as she flipped over it, sitting on top as she slowly let it descend to the ground. When she was just a couple feet from the surface, she cut the Aura feed, letting the propulsion die down as she pulled the board out from under her. She stuck her tongue out at her leader as she landed on her feet. "You're such a killjoy."

"Well, if you want to reveal your greatest strength to all our opposition, be my guest." Arslan sarcastically suggested.

Reese clicked her tongue, realizing what the blonde girl was referring to. She didn't want to admit she was right, but the girl gave the Beacon students that walked past on the nearby path a look, watching them with narrowed eyes as they looked back at her.

"We'll win anyways." Reese declared.

The girl looked up at the nearby lamp post, a large red banner hanging from it. She didn't really care about the month of classes leading up to the day Amity was apparently supposed to arrive...

The Vytal Festival Tournament was coming. It made her nervous, yet excited. She was certain it would be quite a thrill, fighting alongside her team. Even now, honestly, all she wanted to do was discuss the fights to come – but it was still so far away. Perhaps too far.

Reese grinned.

She couldn't wait.


	37. A Pair of Roses

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the absolutely ridiculous delay for this chapter! Hopefully, with this upcoming lull in my schooling I'll be able to get a lot more work done for my stories, but taking two months to get this chapter to you guys literally makes me feel like the biggest asshole ever. Apologies!**

 **On that note, this chapter can be considered one of the few, stuttering steps leading up to a giant leap, so to speak. I hope you all enjoy it for what it is, and I'll see you all later.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Blake makes everything difficult."_

* * *

Pyrrha let out a breath as she sat up, drawing a fresh one back in as she put her shoulders flat against the carpeted floor of her team's dorm. She tensed her muscles and heaved, bringing herself back up and twisting her body to the side, repeating the motion towards the other, before settling on her back again.

The loud sound of metal scraping against metal rang out through the room.

She sat up again, finishing the set. The redhead then rolled the forty-pound medicine ball off of her lap, gently prodding it towards the foot of her bed, where there was a slim chance someone – Ruby came to mind – would step on it, and tumble into something or someone fragile.

Ren came to mind.

Pushing herself to her feet as sweat dripped from her nose, the metal screech hit the champion's ears again. Smiling at the fond memory, she looked up to Ruby, the girl's head outlined by the morning sun. However, the short-haired girl only had eyes for her scythe, holding it with both affection and purpose.

Ruby drew a stone over one of the wicked blades, and it sang not unlike how it did when it cut clean through the bone and hide of a Beowolf. Pyrrha was standing at the perfect angle to see the edges of the segmented blades in Ruby's scythe. They were wire-thin. Perfectly sharp.

At the very beginning of the year, Pyrrha cringed whenever Ruby sharpened her blades – then having sounded as if all she was doing was ruining their edges. Now, however, the noise was a comfort: an oddly satisfying sound, the metal ringing in an otherwise silent room.

Ren was sat atop his own bed, meditating. Or maybe just sleeping sitting up? She never really bothered asking because it seemed rather obvious.

The girl brought the stone across the edges again. The sound made Pyrrha's hair stand on end, but it was oddly pleasant in its familiarity. Comforting.

The door clicked open, and Blake stepped inside. The black-haired girl scratched her head, close to the piece of cloth that covered her top-most pair of ears, causing Pyrrha to sigh as the door closed behind her teammate.

"You know you can take that off in here."

The girl's amber eyes turned to her, narrowing, though more in a playful manner than a hostile one. At least Pyrrha hoped. "I've barely been in the room for a second, and you already want it off?" Blake shook her head, reaching up to the ribbon, though Pyrrha did feel a little embarrassed about how quickly she'd reacted to the girl wearing it.

Blake hesitated, hands hovering just above her head.

"It's more natural to have it on."

"It shouldn't be." Ruby called out from where she sat. Pyrrha nodded in agreement, resting a fist against her hip. The redhead looked across the room to Ren, but he didn't make a sound – he didn't even move, beyond cracking one eye open to watch Blake.

Their faunus teammate pulled the ribbon, the length tightening slightly before going slack.

It fell away, and one of the ears twitched.

Blake scratched it, smiling awkwardly.

Pyrrha would admit to staring, but excused that as simply not getting a close look the other times the girl took off her ribbon. The first time seeing it, after that docks incident, she'd barely gotten a glance in before Blake covered them up. Then when they'd talked about it when they got back to their dorms – or rather tried to talk about it – she dodged everything. Every question.

The only reason they didn't press the issue was they were all so damn tired by then. After being questioned for what seemed by hours on end – not only by Headmaster Ozpin, but by a Schnee Dust Company official who'd been extremely irate at being awoken at such an hour, they hadn't been in the mood to press the issue.

The day after, however, Blake took a breath, and – after some prodding – explained everything.

In the end, what they'd learned about their faunus teammate didn't matter.

She was their teammate.

"What did you find out?" Ren asked, breaking the silence. Blake turned to him, blinking, even as Ruby's head perked up.

This, of course, had Pyrrha's interest as well.

Blake stood there for a moment, staring at her partner, then shrunk in on herself. In the span of a second, she went from smiling playfully to absolutely shaken.

"Blake, what's wrong?" Pyrrha asked softly. She didn't dare step towards the girl: she looked like she'd run if the champion dared even move.

"They... they killed him." She let out uncertainly, as if she wasn't sure if her own words held truth.

Blake's statement chilled Pyrrha to the bone.

"What?"

The girl turned her amber eyes to Pyrrha. They were neither dull nor alight with life. "He... he's dead. My former contact. I... I went to the bookstore he ran as a front, and... he's _dead_. The place is closed. Boarded up. I checked the news on my scroll and..."

Blake let out a shuddering breath, and Pyrrha stepped towards the girl at last, pulling her into a hug. She felt the wetness on her shoulder before she heard the first sob.

"They killed him _..._ "

The black-haired girl collapsed into her arms, even as she heard the creaking of the beds behind her. Ruby came right up beside her, and went straight to Blake. She didn't say anything, but planted a hand on the girl's shoulder, Pyrrha feeling the girl in her arms shudder.

On Pyrrha's other side, Ren approached, out of the corner of her eye. He held up his scroll in front of her face, and she began reading. It must have been the same article Blake had found, the words 'Vale bookstore murder' in the search bar.

She continued reading, patting the girl's back. A murder at a local bookstore. Security footage destroyed. No witnesses beyond a mute girl hearing a gunshot from the neighboring building.

To her, this was just news. Impersonal. To Blake, it was devastating. Blake sniffled into her shoulder, not making any motion to pull away. Pyrrha just nodded, admittedly a little awkward supporting the girl in her grasp.

But this was her duty as a leader.

It struck a chord. One she'd buried deep. "What was he like?" Pyrrha asked solemnly, wishing she could do more.

"He was…" a sniff "…a complete and utter ass. He made fun of the books I read. He ruffled my hair and ruin my ribbon when I would be hiding in the back… but he also helped me dress a wound when I got injured. He was always there when I needed someone to vent to – even when I'd already been out of the Fang. We made a book fort when I was ten…"

Pyrrha grimaced. "He sounds like a good man."

"He was! He wanted out! He didn't deserve this..."

The redheaded girl tilted her head to look towards Ren, nodding as gently as she could. Ren stepped closer. "You and Ruby can go. I'll look after her." He whispered.

There was no way Blake didn't hear, but she didn't speak up. Pyrrha nodded, and stepped back from Blake, tilting the girl's head to look into her damp eyes. The expression on Ren's face was firm. He could take care of this.

"He didn't." Pyrrha stated firmly. Blake sniffed at her statement, and then nodded, dragging her arm across her eyes to wipe the tears away.

"Let it out." Ruby tacked on. "You don't need to act strong. Grieve, and remember him."

There was something both telling and comforting in the bluntness and care Ruby said that with. As Ren patted Blake's shoulder, Ruby stepped towards Pyrrha, glancing back at their teammates as they stood in front of the door.

"Compared to that, it's hard to say my... problems are really problems?" Ruby's face scrunched up in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked quietly, opening the door behind them while casting one last glance towards Ren and Blake. Ruby hesitated, stepping through the door, while Pyrrha closed it, catching the last second of Ren's reassuring nod.

"I mean… I feel bad that I consider my problems, well, problems at all. Especially when they don't even compare to what Blake's going through."

"You mean finally meeting your aunt?"

"And up to seven more cousins." Ruby pointed out unusually meekly. "Losing someone close is... hard. Compared to that, me worrying about what they'll think of me is, well, stupid."

"I know what you're saying." Pyrrha nodded. "It's fine to be nervous. And forget about this whole thing with Blake for now." To be honest, the redhead hadn't wanted to put it that way, but it was hard to get across what she meant in words. "Just..."

"What if they don't like me?"

"What's not to like about you?" Pyrrha supplied, smiling to herself at how the girl looked to her feet shyly. It was one way to distract her partner, she supposed – even if the younger girl glanced back down the hall repeatedly as they walked.

The silence and lack of response from Ruby took Pyrrha's thoughts inwards.

What was she going to do herself? It was going to be more than a little awkward for her. She had no reason to be at this lunch Jaune's mother was hosting. She really felt like the odd one out: Ruby was Jaune's cousin, Yang was Jaune's girlfriend and Ruby's sister – which was something that was still odd in her own mind. Nora and Weiss were Jaune's teammates.

The only reason Pyrrha – and formerly, Ren and Blake – had been going was because Jaune had invited them. She was just Jaune's cousin's partner.

The redhead shook her head softly, realizing there was a silver lining in that: it would be the first time in a while she wouldn't be in the spotlight. She could just sit and watch quietly from the side.

She hoped.

* * *

"It's been so long since I've had your mom's cooking." Yang admitted, stretching her arms towards the scorching midday sun. Blinking her sunglass-covered eyes as she realized she had somewhat of an opportunity, she turned as she walked. "You're going to love it, Ruby."

"I am?"

The group of six – all of team JWYN, plus Ruby and Pyrrha – were currently walking down one of Vale's many side roads, the area now recognizable enough to Yang she could no doubt navigate her way to Jaune's house by her lonesome. Traffic was scarce enough they could walk down the middle of the street, only parting to the sides once for the one time a truck drove past.

"I know it, sis. It's better than mine, dad's, and Uncle Qrow's all put together. Trust me." She reassured. Ruby didn't look all too convinced, but Yang did at least get a nod in response.

Ruby and Pyrrha had been uncharacteristically quiet. Yang chalked Ruby's silence up to nerves, but Pyrrha also seemed less enthused, not even motivated to answer Weiss' questions beyond a couple words. It likely had something to do with the two members of their team that were missing, but Yang wouldn't pry.

She hated it when people bothered her when she wasn't in the mood. Why would she do the same?

Still, it made for a rather quiet walk from the nearby transit station. Nora had actually been forward enough to ask about the missing Ren – and Blake, obviously – but had only found out that something had come up and they were indisposed. After that, the topics strayed far from the missing members of PBRL, and were notably short lived.

Yang turned to Jaune after the silence carried for a few more moments. "Do you know who all are going to be home?"

The blond boy seemed to snap to life, humming to himself. "Juncea might stop by, but she could be busy at work... I doubt Daisy would want to miss out on any of mom's cooking. Violet will definitely be there. Mist and Yune too. Claire's up in Atlas still, and Lily's at Signal."

"And your father is li-Lily's at Signal?"

Jaune turned his blue eyes to her, humming. "I never told you?"

"No! If I'd known, I'd have called her!"

"You have Lily's number?"

"Of course I do!"

"Huh."

Yang took in a deep breath, walking diagonally so she was astride Jaune, before sending a clenched fist into his arm. "You gotta tell me these things. Your family is like my family, you lug."

Jaune let out a long, drawn out groan, though he smiled slightly. "Yesdear."

Yang punched him in the arm again, grumbling to herself. His ensuing chuckle made her punch him again, harder.

"Hey, careful, I bruise easily." He faux-whined.

"No you don't."

Weiss scoffed from behind them. "Just kiss and make up already."

Yang blinked in unison with her steps. The heiress had good ideas, sometimes. As she thought more about it, she blushed softly, but grinned ferally.

Jaune opened his mouth to say something to Weiss, turning his head. As he did, Yang reached up, grabbed the shoulder of his jacket, and pulled him into a kiss.

Ruby made a retching noise. Yang would remember that, breaking away from Jaune's lips, the boy's eyes wide.

"That... was not what I was expecting." Weiss said.

"But you really should have been."

"You're... not wrong, Nora. I should have been prepared for that."

"You know, the last time I saw a young couple kiss in front of my house, they got engaged a few months later. Should I start planning a wedding?"

At the statement from the house they'd just walked in front of, Jaune's cheeks lit up like a stop light, and Yang's own scorched like a roaring inferno. She slowly turned her head along with her boyfriend, looking up to the front step of a familiar house.

 _Whoops_.

"Hi mom." Jaune called out.

Alabaster Arc stood there, dressed in simple clothes Yang knew she'd seen before. The blonde woman wore an apron over them – though the apron was otherwise unmarked, and probably just worn as a precaution considering the woman's experience. There was an excited smile spread across her face, and her eyes danced with mirth.

"Six of you?" Jaune's mother's eyes settled on each of them individually, though they'd passed over herself, Jaune, and Nora quickly, instead focusing on Ruby, Pyrrha, and oddly enough, Weiss. "Then I'll have made plenty. Now, don't just stand there in the middle of the street! Head to the back. Everything is set up, and I'll be right out. We were really blessed with this weather today."

Jaune took a step towards the house, before his mother could head back inside. "Need any help?" If Jaune hadn't offered, she'd have seriously needed to reconsider what she saw in him.

"I'll be fine!" She called out. "Show your friends around back. I'll be just a moment." The door closed shut behind her, and Yang looked to Jaune. Moreover, everyone looked to Jaune.

"She seems remarkably pleasant." Pyrrha noted.

Jaune chuckled at that. "What can I say? She's my mom. Let's head out back."

Yang nodded, and watched as Jaune started to walk towards the side of the house, where there was a little metal gate leading to the back. She'd been down it before, but waited patiently. When no one else moved, she looked to them, and they all looked to her. Realizing what they specifically were waiting for, she followed Jaune, and they all fell in behind her.

It was an awkward moment, but she understood. As she stepped into the shade of Jaune's home, the little gravel path to the back crunched beneath her feet, and the sound echoed behind her as the others followed. As they rounded the corner to the back and the yard behind it, she understood what Jaune's mom had meant.

There was a long table, the cloth covering it weighed down by dinnerware and clips to keep it from blowing away were a sudden gust to pick up. There were already a few dishes on it, covered so bugs didn't get into the meal. Heads of blonde and black turned towards them as they stepped into the yard. Jaune stood up straight as the two obviously younger sisters began to run towards him.

"Jaune!" The blonde-haired girls called out in unison, the shorter one wrapping her arms around him, even as the other added another layer of hug.

"Hey, you two!" Yang could hear Jaune's smile, the boy chuckling as he staggered back slightly from the force of the hugs' impacts.

"Jaune?" The smaller of the girl's heads turned upwards, though Yang could barely see Mist's face on the other side the boy's torso. "Are you pregnant?"

A loud cough and sputter interrupted the blond boy's chuckling, even as Yang burst into laughter, her raucous appreciation for Mist's sudden question echoed from both behind her, and from the table the girls had just departed.

" _What_?" Jaune asked, completely baffled, cheeks alight with a blush.

"Oh, it's nothing. I missed you! Come sit!" Mist ran away, Yune following the other triplet like a shadow. As Jaune turned back towards their group with an absolutely dumbfounded expression on his face, he happened to miss Violet's suppressed chuckle as Yang watched the older girl subtly handed the two-thirds of triplets some lien.

Looking up at the rest of the table, Yang quickly matched the faces to the ones in her memory. Jaune's estimate for who would be there was somewhat accurate: Yune, Mist, Violet, and Daisy were all sitting towards one end of the table, with a fair number of open seats. Yang smiled and waved politely at them, but only Daisy waved back, the other three distracted – Violet having turned her eyes to a book, with Yune and Mist chatting about something or other next to her.

The blonde girl turned back around, putting her fists to her hips as she looked to the rest of the Beacon crew. Ruby looked more nervous than before, finding a particular point on the ground fairly interesting. Before Yang could step in, Pyrrha sidled up next to Ruby, and brushed shoulders with her, whispering something. The blonde's sister smiled slightly, and nodded, looking up.

Yang was both proud and mildly annoyed, but she smiled regardless, instead turning to Weiss and Nora, and then nodding back over her shoulder towards Jaune. "Does he look pregnant to the two of you?"

Nora smiled. "Nah, he's just a little chubbier than he used to be."

"Hey, I didn't bring you all here to laugh at me..." Jaune pouted. "At least I have you, right Weiss?"

"I don't know, when's the last time you had your period?"

Yang began to chuckle, even as Jaune's mouth gaped, opening and closing like a fish. Weiss and Nora both laughed as well, and after a moment, Jaune scoffed and strutted away, fists on his hips as he made them sway obnoxiously, renewing their laughter. Yang shook her head, and followed him towards the table.

The blond boy took the seat next to Daisy, and Yang took the seat next to him. Weiss and Nora went around the table, Nora sitting next to Yune with Weiss to her other side. Ruby settled in to Yang's right, and Pyrrha across from her, next to Weiss. It was much different from how they sat in Beacon's cafeteria, probably because of the missing members of PBRL.

"Jaune, you're outnumbered, umm..." Daisy started speaking, before she looked down the table, blonde hair falling in front of her face – Yang noting the streak of blue in it. "Wait, you're literally the only guy here?"

"Yeah, the only other guy on our teams couldn't make it. Why?"

Yang didn't know much about Daisy - or rather, much less than any of the other Arc sisters at the table – but the girl seemed to deflate at Jaune's confirmation. "No hot guys... why am I here? Just to suffer?"

"You'll live." Jaune started. "Besides, Weiss is practically a gu-"

"Finish that statement. I dare you."

Daisy giggled uncertainly – though she did lean forwards to get a better look at Weiss – while Violet flipped a page in her book, making a whipping noise with her mouth.

"Aw, come on..." Jaune bemoaned.

Yang couldn't help but smile. There was already an air of familiarity here: Whatever wall there was between the two parties simply didn't exist. Nora and Yune shuffled in their seats, but it was pretty obvious to the blonde that they were just kicking each other's feet beneath the table.

However, looking among the table, it wasn't perfect. Of course, who would expect it to be? Violet didn't talk, but to Yang's knowledge, that was just Violet. Ruby and Pyrrha chatted, and kept looking over at Jaune's sisters. Daisy was now standing, leaning on the back of Weiss' chair as the two chatted, though Yang wasn't sure whether Weiss was genuinely interested in the conversation or just acting like she was.

The blonde girl flinched as Jaune elbowed her slightly in the ribs, and she turned to look at him.

"Something on your mind? You haven't been talking much."

Yang blinked her eyes up at him, before shrugging, leaning back in her seat to stretch. "Eh, nothing important. Just thinking."

"About?"

Yang shrugged again. "Nothing."

Jaune hummed as if he didn't quite believe her, but she ignored it as he turned to the usually silent sister on his left, and said a quick word or two to her. Yang took a quick breath in, then out, then nudged Jaune slightly.

She knew everyone at the table. She couldn't speak the same for the others. "Maybe you should introduce everyone? It might help." She suggested in a whisper.

"Help what? Oh." Jaune took a moment, and then cleared his throat, the majority of eyes around the table turning to him, though Nora still got a good kick in on Yune, who retaliated before sitting still. "So, uhh... introductions..."

Jaune sat there for a moment, looking up and down the table.

"I'm still horrible at this."

Yang couldn't count the sighs quick enough to know how many people were a varying degree of disappointed, and they seemed to come from all around her – but the loudest one came from behind Weiss.

"We all know you've never been the best talker." Daisy noted. "I'll do this the easy way, or at least help: I'm Daisy, the little one is Yune, the little- _little_ one is Mist-"

"Hey!"

"And the moody, anti-social one over there who will never get laid is Violet."

"Bitch."

"Cun-"

" _Girls_!" The voice came from behind Yang, and it almost immediately had her turned around, on her knees and apologizing – despite not even having been directed towards her.

"Sorry."

Yang blinked as she realized five separate voices responded. She had to stop herself from grinning madly when she realized Jaune's was indeed one of them.

"Yang, sweetie, could you move a little closer to Jaune for me? I need to put this roaster down."

"Oh, sure." The blonde girl didn't even turn to look, simply picking up her chair beneath her and shuffling closer to her partner and boyfriend. Their chairs touched, and she leaned over. "This good?"

"Just a little more, I don't want to burn you."

"I'll be fine." Yang said, pressing her body closer to Jaune regardless. "I'm more worried you'll end up burning yourself."

"Oh no, I'm fine." The older woman leaned between Yang and Ruby, and settled the big roaster down. "A little burn would be nothing to me..."

The woman's words trailed off, and Yang turned to look at her, still leaning against Jaune. She couldn't see her face, but the blonde knew exactly where she was looking.

"Gods, you look exactly like her..."

* * *

Ruby shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, looking up at the eyes that seemed to stare down at her in fondness, though the woman's body loomed over her, having just set a roaster full of food down on the table.

Ruby was uncomfortable, but there was more than just awe in the woman's eyes. There was...

Taking in a shuddering breath, Ruby's fingers twitched, and her hand rose, settling around a wrist of someone who should be a complete stranger.

The eyes of her aunt mirrored her own; not just in color, or shape, but in the way that the older woman's seemed to water, even as Ruby's own vision blurred slightly. The girl stood suddenly, tipping her chair over as she wrapped her arms around a woman she hadn't ever met until today.

When she felt a hand go to the back of her head, pulling her closer as an arm wrapped around her shoulders as well, she didn't hold back.

She cried loudly, balling the woman's shirt up in her hands as she tried to pull herself closer to the woman. A woman who was family.

Her aunt. Her mother's sister.

Her mother...

Ruby took a deep breath in through her nose, letting out a shuddering breath. She whined pathetically into the shirt before her, sniffling.

"It's alright..." Ruby both heard and felt the woman coo. The fingers running down her hair, pulling it out of her face... It was a gentle touch. Her father's touch was rugged, but dependable. Yang's fingers had always been warm, yet clumsy.

The way her aunt's fingers trailed down her scalp, it was purely gentle. A feather touch. Warm, light, soft...

It was familiar. A touch not unlike one in the back of her memory. Her mother's.

She blinked, and nodded her head. It almost made her tired...

"So, you're Ruby." The light voice confirmed, the chest she was pressed against humming. "Ruby Rose."

The young girl nodded her affirmation.

"I'm Alabaster Arc. Formerly, Alabaster Rose." The woman's voice cracked, but Ruby ignored it, focusing on the words she said. "Your mother was my sister."

Alabaster leaned back, but Ruby's grip was tight. The girl forced her fingers to relax, letting go of her aunt's shirt. When they separated, their eyes met once more.

"I'm sorry..."

Ruby blinked. "Sorry...?"

"I... I couldn't be there for you. Or... This isn't the time to talk about this." The woman's lips pulled into a smile, and she stepped out from where she stood next to the table. "Dry your eyes, little rose. We have so much to talk about, but... it can wait. You must be hungry."

The huntress-in-training nodded, wiping a sleeve across her eyes. After she had, she looked around.

She'd just cried. In front of everyone.

Pyrrha smiled softly at her, and as she scanned the faces further down the table... Despite the way everyone offered smiles and reassuring nods, she couldn't help but hide her face behind her hands, and seethe silently in self-loathing.

It was so embarrassing!

She felt Yang's - it had to be Yang – pat on her shoulder, and she peeked between her fingers. Her sister smiled happily, getting up out of her chair. Yang leaned in, and gave her a hug.

"Oh Ruby... You know the last time I saw you cry?" Yang whispered, breath warm on her ear as she was squeezed.

The younger girl thought – thought hard – and realized she didn't have an answer for Yang. She shook her head, a slightly damp cheek tapping against her older sister's.

"I don't either..." Yang let out softly – quietly enough that there was no way no one else would hear. "I haven't seen or heard you cry since... since-"

"Don't say it." Ruby let out solemnly. She knew now: She knew the last time Yang would have seen or heard her cry.

Now most certainly wasn't the time to talk about it.

Yang backed up, though her hands rested on Ruby's shoulders. When her sister let go, and finally sat again, Ruby moved to take a seat once more as well. But as she bent her knees, expecting resistance, she found none. At that point, she couldn't adjust, either. She let out a shriek. It was all she was able to get out before her rear hit the ground beneath her with a dull thud.

"Ow..."

A chorus of giggles came from the far end of the table, hitting Ruby's ears as she used the table as support, climbing back up. She blew her hair out of her eyes, staring at Mist and Yune as they tried to hide their mirth.

Oh, they thought it was funny, did they?

"I have an idea!" Ruby let out excitedly. "Show of hands, who wants to play tag or something after we eat?"

The two younger girls towards the end of the table raised their hands excitedly.

Suckers.

* * *

Lie Ren considered himself a patient man. After living with Nora for as long as he had, he always thought if he could accept her for all her quirks and weird moods, and whatever else she was, he could survive anything.

Then he met Blake Belladonna.

When Pyrrha and Ruby had left earlier, he'd had things under control. Or rather, he assumed he would be able to have things under control. Blake had been... quiet.

Then he met unreasonably irate Blake Belladonna. Then self-depreciating Blake Belladonna. Then "how dare you agree with me when I know I'm right" Blake Belladonna.

The one and only time he'd absolutely and irrevocably quote Nora: " _Women._ "

Ren sighed to himself, legs crossed as he sat close to the end of his bed. The boy wasn't the type to openly admit to complaining about hardship – especially something like this – but if he could be honest for a second or two, Blake had been in the shower for almost an entire hour. He'd had to knock on the door and check three times, just to make sure she was still conscious.

In that same hour, Ren had done weapons maintenance, some plyometrics, and finished a report for Professor Peach's class. The water had been running the entire time.

Somberly, there was one thing the boy could certainly note: this Tukson's death hit Blake hard. Admittedly, Ren didn't know everything there was to know about Blake, but he could hazard a guess that this man had been a close friend – or possibly a long-time family friend. The girl had mentioned knowing him back when she was... ten, was it?

When the sound of the shower running stopped, Ren turned to look towards the bathroom door that had muffled it for a moment, before returning to his previous position. He willed himself to keep an entirely open mind. However Blake acted when she stepped through that door, he'd adapt.

Minutes passed, and Blake still had not come out. Not strictly speaking unusual, but worth noting. Or maybe he just thought it was worth noting. He really didn't know anymore.

Finally, the latch clicked, and the door swung inwards. Blake stood there on the other side of the doorway, eyes pointed downwards, dressed in the yukata that was typically just used as her sleepwear.

The girl's eyes flicked up to meet his, but she didn't say anything. Ren could see her hair – still slightly damp – clinging to her skin as she walked towards him.

Blake sat next to him on the bed. He could hear her breathe, her head hung slightly.

She didn't say anything for a good minute or so. But her overall mood and the way she carried herself when she'd walked over, her posture when she sat...

She had something to say.

Ren tilted his head forwards, leaning down to get a better look at her face. He didn't say anything. Just watched, and waited.

The girl took a breath.

"I want to find out who did it." She finally said. "I... made an assumption earlier. Oobleck taught us to not make assumptions. I feel like it was the White Fang, but on the off chance they weren't involved..."

"It doesn't hurt to make sure." Ren confirmed. The room was silent for a moment, aside from the slight creak of the bed as he adjusted his sitting position slightly. "So?"

"So?"

"What are we going to do about it?"


	38. When Opportunity Knocks

**Heyo~!**

 **Words cannot express how terrible I feel about the delay on updates for all my stories; and I'm good at expressing things with words, honest! Don't believe me? Then what have you been reading all this time?**

 **Eh, I'm just messing around. Scholarly commitments and mass-procrastination have set me back almost as much as my sheer lack of motivation had, as of late. Luckily, with the winter break for my classes ensuing, I managed to finally finish this chapter that I started... two months ago...? That long? Really?**

 **I'd tried and tried many different things: re-watching episodes of RWBY, re-reading my own stories... I even transitioned from writing JaFP to Technician to kick-start my brain; nothing seemed to get me going. But I've found a source of motivation. As to it's effectiveness, I can't really tell yet, but it seems to be working!**

 **As such, I figured I'd shell out a nice holiday treat for you, as you've been so patient with me. Below is the next chapter of Technician, in all its glory!**

 **Oooh! As a side note, I've actually - as an attempt to rekindle my motivation, help a friend, and refine my own skills - began to Beta a RWBY fanfic of a good friend of mine: Rising Dragon's "Pawn of Fate". If he keeps at it - and I know he will ( _*cracks whip*_ ) - he's got something real special going on. Go check it out. _Now_.**

 **With my lengthy intro done - _thankfully not as long as that semi-hiatus -_ let's get back to Technician! **

* * *

_Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Merry Christmas and all that sappy stuff."_

* * *

It was exceedingly rare for the first thing that woke Jaune up to be the shrill beeping of his scroll's alarm. It was enough to put the boy on edge, cracking his eyes open as soon as he mustered the energy. Looking to his side, the blond checked to see if Yang was in her bed, before rolling over to look to Weiss and Nora.

They were all accounted for, and otherwise completely asleep, though Weiss did make a grunting noise and shuffled beneath her sheets. Jaune reached out and turned off his alarm, and slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.

How much extra sleep was that, compared to the usual? Typically, Nora or Yang would have woken him up, with either a gentle shake or excited chatter. Weiss was never up early enough to wake him.

After turning his alarm off, however, the blinking light on his scroll made him groan softly. He tapped the screen, and the message spread across it.

It was from Goodw-Glynda, asking his team to gather at their typical training grounds as soon as possible for a session. He looked around at the rest of his team.

He'd have to wake them.

The blond swore as loudly as he dared, though it wasn't enough to cause any of his team to stir, it certainly made him feel better. Jaune was more disappointed he couldn't let them all sleep longer. He couldn't even imagine what his team would be like if they were fully rested. Completely content... Maybe Weiss would give people hugs, or Yang would be a little quieter?

Jaune clambered out of bed, stretching his legs out as he stood on his toes, and slowly made his way over to Nora. Despite expectations, she always proved the easiest of his teammates to wake. From what Ren had said, she was supposed to have been particularly stubborn when it came to waking up.

All Jaune had to do was put a hand on her shoulder, shake, and...

The girl's eyes sprung open, her cool blue irises turning up to look at him.

"Morning." He offered quietly, pulling his hand back.

That was all he ever had to do for Nora.

"M'rnin'..." She responded, slurring her words as she pulled her sheets tighter around her for a second, before throwing them off. Jaune averted his gaze, though Nora in her pajama top and underwear wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. The girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes, blinking at him with a questioning stare.

"Can you wake Weiss up for me? We have training with Glynda." Jaune mentioned, sitting on the very edge of the girl's bed. He shook his head softly, their professor and mentor's first name still weird on his tongue.

"Training? First I've heard of it."

"First I've heard of it too." The blond nodded. He looked to where Weiss slept, then over to Yang across the room. "Got the message the moment I woke up."

The orange haired girl hummed quietly. "Okay, I'll do Weiss."

"Thanks. Don't know what I'd do without you."

It was something about Nora that Jaune didn't quite get, but still appreciated: despite how she goofed off or acted on her own, when he or someone else trusted her with a responsibility, she was almost a completely different person. He felt the girl climb out of bed and stood up himself, walking across the room.

Jaune stood at Yang's bedside. No matter how he handled the girl, it always went poorly for him. But wasn't that how having a girlfriend worked? Jaune would have chuckled at his own thought, were it not for the pressure he felt for the current situation.

However, the blond realized waking up Yang was the most important thing right now. He took a deep breath, put a hand on the girl's shoulder not unlike how he'd done with Nora...

One of Yang's hands grabbed his wrist, and pulled him into her bed. She rolled over, on top of him, and smashed her lips into his. Jaune's eyes widened in panic at being manhandled, before he relaxed and let Yang's weight push him into the warm mattress. He reached up to the back of her head, and pulled her closer. She released his wrist, and he settled that hand at her waist.

Yang pulled back, smiling down at him sensually. "Good morning," she greeted in a sing-song voice.

"Hi..." was the only answer Jaune could afford, cheeks flushed and hot.

The blonde girl leaned forwards again, and Jaune's lips parted, his dazed mind more than eager to continue where they left off.

The blaring squeal of an air horn sounded, and the two blondes jumped apart. Both of them turned their heads to the source.

Nora had her legs on either side of Weiss, straddling the girl's waist – not great for Jaune's brain, in his current predicament – with the offending noisemaker in her hand. Weiss sat up with a growl, and punched Nora right in the chest as hard as she could before turning to Yang and Jaune.

It perhaps took a moment for the white-haired girl to register what she was seeing, the dim light not fully hiding the blush on her cheeks.

"I hate you all."

"Aww, thanks!" Yang called out childishly, and pushed herself off of Jaune.

 _No, wait, come back!_

"Jaune, why are you back in bed? You said we had training." Nora called out innocently, though her smile bled mockery.

He'd get her back for that. One day.

"Wait, training?" Weiss asked curiously, though the blush still sat on her face.

"With Glynda." Jaune added quickly, adjusting himself where he lay. "As soon as we're ready."

Weiss and Yang let out grunts and groans. Weiss pushed Nora off, while Yang simply winked at him and climbed out of bed. Both girls turned and headed into the two washrooms on either side of the room. The doors closed behind them, echoing each other. That left Jaune alone in the room with Nora.

He had to ask. "Where the hell did you get an airhorn?"

"I bought it."

"Right, but where? When?"

"Trade secret."

Jaune sighed, shaking his head as he stood. He made his way over to the closet, and the trunk he kept his armor in. He pulled the tank-top he wore to bed over his head, and proceeded to get dressed.

It surprised him when Nora came to stand beside him, and he forced himself to look to the side again as the girl pulled her own top off. Again, more a courtesy for her than a result of embarrassment, or the like. Growing up with so many girls, Jaune had seen and heard things he certainly hadn't needed to.

Nora did seem awfully comfortable doing it though. Perhaps she knew Yang would kill him if he looked with... well... interest.

"All the message said was to meet Glynda at our training area?" She asked, reaching forward to grab her shirt. Jaune saw her bodily flesh out of the corner of his eye, and turned a little further, looping his belt through his coat and putting the pauldron on it. He'd have to put his chest piece on first, but it was easier to get the coat ready without it on so he could put it on at the end.

"Yeah. She didn't say training, though..." Jaune tried to recall the exact wording. "She said something like... a session? I assumed training session. Nothing about bringing our weapons, but it's probably better we pick them up. Don't want to abuse the lockers too much."

Jaune blinked. Just saying that gave him an absolutely horrendous idea.

"It's been a while since we've had a four-on-one with her. Maybe we should strategize?"

The boy would have made a remark about Nora considering strategizing, whereas it had been the last thing on her mind at the beginning of the year. Instead, he decided to actually give a future confrontation some thought. "She's agile and can float on something she's using her semblance on, but we haven't really gone for her legs in our past attempts..."

"It's already hard enough to get close to her, and she can catch my grenades with her semblance."

"Tell me something I don't know." Jaune chuckled. "Your grenades hurt, Nora."

"Oh, speaking!" The girl turned to Jaune, and he looked back to her. She was finally dressed to the point he could maintain eye contact without a blush creeping up his face. "Did you ever get around to that finishing that design I asked you about?"

"That desi-oh. That one."

"Yeah?" The girl's eyes shone with eagerness.

"I finished it." Jaune admitted. He'd wanted it to be a surprise for the girl, but at this point, there was no reason he really needed to keep it that way. She expressed almost as much interest in his blueprints as Ruby did. "I wanted to go to the forge later, maybe see if I could make a proper shell for it. If we survive today's training, do you want to come with me?"

"Sure! We could make an entire thing out of it. Bring our partners too?"

Jaune nodded along, turning back to the closet. He pulled down the hanger his pants were clipped to, and continued to dress. "Why not. But let's focus here." What could they do to take their mentor off guard? Catching her unawares was their best chance at actually doing anything against the experienced huntress. Like the one time when Weiss managed to get close enough to the professor that she had to block Crocea Mors. "Do you think it's less about coordination, and more about overwhelming her?"

"If we do that, she just won't hold back with her semblance. Remember when she threw all of us back when we all tried to go for her at once?" Jaune doubted she was actually asking if he remembered. How could he forget that?

The boy hummed. Maybe Weiss or Yang had a good idea.

"Jaune, do you mind if I ask you something?"

The boy turned back to Nora. Her tone wasn't as chipper as it just had been. "What is it?"

"You still haven't discovered your semblance yet, have you?"

Jaune shook his head softly. "No. I'm beginning to think I either don't have one, or it's useless. Or just completely unnoticeable."

"Sorry. I know it's kind of a sore spot."

"Kinda." Really, the only reason it bothered him was he felt he could be so much more helpful. What if his semblance was something totally badass? Something strong like... well, anyone's?

He... honestly, it felt like he was dragging his team down. Either by not knowing what his semblance was, or by not having one at all.

"How did you find out what yours was?" Jaune pondered. "It seems... oddly specific to conduct electricity or whatever."

Nora zipped up her skirt. "Well... That story would take a while. More time than we have right now."

"Must be a good story, then."

"It is. Quite shocking, really." There was the click of a door latch, and the duo turned. Weiss stumbled out of the washroom, looking a little more refreshed than she had the moment she woke up. "I guess I'll fix my hair. Maybe I can share it later, when we go to the forge?"

"Looking forward to it."

Weiss shot Nora a glare as they passed each other, though it seemed mostly friendly in nature. She glowered at Jaune himself, however, as she approached the closet. "Do you mind? I'd like to get dressed without having to worry about being ogled at by some lecherous..." The girl trailed off, whatever other words dying in her throat in a strangled gargle.

"You okay? Weiss?"

She hesitated. "Sorry... I mean, I know it was you, but..." The girl reached up, and touched his arm. He shivered at her touch, the bright pink flesh that lead up beneath the arm of his shirt a little more sensitive than the rest. "I didn't know it left a scar."

"It's fine." Jaune immediately reassured. "We did what we had to. Besides, umm..." He scratched his head. "Yang likes it."

Weiss let out a chuckle, digits brushing against the scar for a moment, before she reached into the closet, retrieving her dress. "Of course she would. She's a brute."

Jaune let out a soft smile. It was so long ago, but still fresh in his mind. "Yang was there too, you know?"

"I know. That's how I found out about it all. She was the one who told me." Right... That slipped his mind for a moment. "I... never mind."

Jaune tilted his head curiously, raising an eyebrow at Weiss. "You sure you're good?"

"I'm fine." Weiss reassured. She really did seem fine, too. "I'd be even better if you turned. Around." She even made a twirling motion with her finger, as if there were the possibility he hadn't understood.

"Right, right. Sorry." Jaune chuckled, turning just in time to see the door to the other washroom open, Yang stalking out with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She gave him a warm smile, which he returned. Her eyes went past him, looking to Weiss, before looking back to him and giving him a large grin, raising her eyebrows repeatedly in a suggestive fashion.

Jaune just pursed his lips, stood even more rigid, and shook his head mechanically. Nope. There was no way. Not looking wasn't just a courtesy like it was with Nora. This was ensuring his safety.

Yang just chuckled quietly, before whistling. "Looking good, Weiss. You been working out?"

"Sh-Shut up..."

"Is the back of his head that interesting?"

Good thing he hadn't looked, then. As tempting as it was.

Now that he thought about it, why had he not looked at Nora earlier? Not that he hadn't wanted to, but he stopped himself from doing so out of courtesy? And she practically let him do it, too!

That was stupid of him.

Jaune sighed. "Just can't win, can I?"

"What?" Weiss asked from behind him.

"Nothing."

* * *

"So, Miss Good- _Glynda_... what are we waiting for?"

The blonde professor looked up at Yang. A smile tugged at her lips at the girl's correction as she considered what she could possibly say without giving it away. For once, she had trouble getting the words in order. Instead, she deigned to stall.

"Be patient." She looked out over all the members of JWYN, arrayed before her in full combat gear – and oddly enough, in the same order as their name, from left to right. "I see you all came prepared. As I expected."

Glynda got four nods in response, and looked to the path. JWYN had gotten there early, but the professor wasn't going to tell them that. Especially considering the message she sent told them to be there as soon as possible. A slight mishap, the blonde now realizing she could have been more specific. She had let her emotions take control, in that brief moment. Even now, she did her best to keep a stern face as she looked over her students, but she couldn't help how she felt.

She was excited. Her students would finally be tested in an appropriate setting, and she'd get revenge that was well enough due, however petty it was.

The feeling was only multiplied when she saw them approach. He was here. They were here, rather, walking down the path.

In front of her, Jaune turned and nudged Weiss, who got the attention of their other two teammates. Soon, they were all facing the beaten dirt path they came from. Her colleague, Peter Port, strode into the clearing, along with the team he'd been put in charge of. They looked confused.

Team CRDL.

Peter had brought it up with her, earlier. A couple weeks ago, actually. A wonderful suggestion he made, asking her if their teams should participate in a type of joint training exercise. " _Huntsmen and huntresses – even students – don't always work in just twos and fours_ " he'd said. Or at least, that's what her fellow professor had wanted their joint training to be in the first place.

Then the food fight happened. Something Peter played no small part in. She'd been furious, having to clean up that mess. It sent a shiver down her spine just thinking about it.

She had a way to settle the score. A bet. There were more than a couple tables turned to splinters during that fiasco, and she couldn't just stitch them together. It wasn't like her semblance could fix broken material; she could make the pieces fit, but things actually needed to be repaired and replaced.

That's where the bet came in.

If JWYN won against CRDL, Peter agreed to pay for all the cafeteria repairs. If they lost – which they wouldn't – she'd do it instead. Even though the rotund professor should be doing it anyways...

She hadn't been thinking straight when she'd made the offer. Really, it should have been taken out of Beacon's budget, but the school was scraping by already. The headmaster's whimsical decision to have nearly all the team-less first years stay in Vale – and pay for their rent – was already costing them far more than they should have needed to pay. What even was Ozpin thinking, when he suggested that? Was there something he knew that she didn't? She'd asked him, but gotten non-committal, vague answers in return. The man could be infuriating, and nothing bothered her more than not being privy to the knowledge he had. Perhaps he thought it was safer?

The woman mentally shook herself. Now was not the time for that.

"Professor Port. Glad you could make it." She called out with a smile, adding as much bite to it as she could. She wasn't typically vengeful, but her memory of the man walking around with his entire body covered in whipped cream? Cheese wheels stuck to his feet?

Not pleasant, but not the worst thing she'd dealt with over the years, either.

"Glad to see you didn't get cold feet, Professor Goodwitch."

The woman's eyes widened, even as she heard the chatter of both teams JWYN and CRDL. Though, even as far apart as they were, there was a twinkle in her fellow professor's eyes. He wanted to... the man was brilliant, if in odd ways. She gave him a subtle nod, more than willing to oblige. "That's quite the declaration. Why don't you brief the teams on what they'll be doing this morning? We both know you're full of enough hot air to do so. Probably won't even need to take a breath."

Goodness, that was probably the least professional thing she'd said her entire time teaching at Beacon. So unprofessional that her team turned to face her, all with incredulous looks on their faces.

"Pah! Of course. We all know when it comes to lecturing, there's a reason all you do is referee matches in your combat class."

Oh, she had to admit, that was a good one. She had to keep her face schooled in a serious expression though, as much as she wanted to laugh at the what the students would hopefully perceive as an honest insult.

"Now then, students! Future huntsmen and huntresses! You are most surely aware of the Vytal Festival Tournament coming up, yes? I thought so!" He didn't even give them time to answer. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Peter always had a flair for the dramatic, even if it didn't transition into his classes very well. "The first round is a four-on-four fight between two full teams. They can be from the same school, or other schools. All that matters it that two teams battle it out, and one moves on in glory, the other, defeat and shame."

There was a chorus of nods from all eight of the students.

"We just so happen to have two teams here. Two teams of four. What better way to give you a chance at making it past the first round than to practice it, right now."

That seemed to light a fire in the two teams. Glynda couldn't help but smile as she noticed how tense JWYN were. Not in a bad way, either. More like a King Taijitu: coiled and ready to strike. Their eyes didn't leave CRDL – the all-male team standing on the far side of the clearing – while they spoke quietly amongst each other.

Peter's team was doing the same, however. She still remembered the request the veteran professor made of the headmaster. To excuse CRDL from all classes, so he could personally oversee their education and training – for the first year, at least. The man had been a teacher for longer than she had. What kind of lessons had he imparted on his team?

"Both teams have two minutes to strategize while Professor Goodwitch and I talk about how mine is going to win."

The blonde audibly scoffed as she strode forwards into the center of the clearing, even as Peter did the same, a mischievous grin beneath his mustache. When she was sure both their teams were out of earshot, she spoke, chuckling. "You sure know how to get people riled up, don't you?"

"Being Master of Ceremonies for two Vytal Festival Tournaments – soon to be three – gives you a feel for it." Peter confirmed, speaking quietly. It felt strange on Glynda's ears. "There's a threshold, though: it's easy to get a crowd of fifty thousand to start chanting, or to inspire a handful of students, yet..."

"You still can't seem to hold any of your classes' attention for more than five minutes?" She taunted mirthfully.

"Quite so! However, your team pays more attention in my class than most. Same with Oobleck's PBRL. I hate to suggest something else when I say this, but perhaps this mentor system works better than what we've had previous years at Beacon. Quality over quantity."

"I won't argue that. JWYN are some of the best first years I've had."

"Better than my CRDL?"

Glynda smiled. "We'll see. Think we've given them long enough?"

"I must say, I'm curious what your next insult was going to be." Port seemed to rumble as he suppressed his laughter. "Quite the actress you are."

Even if she hadn't truly meant to be offensive, she had to give it a moment's thought. "Probably something about your wife, and how bored she must get. You'd probably say something perverse in response, though, so I'd have to have thought of something else. How is she, by the way?"

"Sherry's back in Atlas, for the time being. Been a week or so since I've seen her. I don't mind, though. I could send her a message and she'd be here in five minutes, unless she's busy."

"True." That woman did have an interesting semblance.

"I wouldn't have said anything perverse, by the by, as you suggest. I'd have just poked fun at your failed relationships."

The blonde winced, clicking her tongue. "Clearly, you have an advantage over me here. You must overhear a lot of insults, generally thrown in your direction."

"Speaking of perverse, every now and then I over hear some students talk about you and your riding crop, and-"

"Students, are you ready?" The woman called out, stepping forward. She adjusted her glasses, hiding her expression from Peter. "This match will use tournament rules, though we can't simulate the battlefields of Amity Colosseum. If your Aura drops into the red, you are eliminated. You will fight until all members of one team is eliminated, or surrenders. I expect both teams to give it their all. Understood?"

She got an array of positive reactions – everything from nods to an enthusiastic "Yes, Miss Glynda!" from Nora. She didn't smile or chuckle, though. She kept a steeled expression, and shouted.

"Begin!"

* * *

Jaune crouched low, Horizon sliding into its extended form as he took aim. Their strategy wasn't much of a strategy, but – as Professor Port said – this was as close as an approximation to the first round of the Vytal Tournament as they'd get.

For they knew next to nothing about Team CRDL.

He recalled how they'd been excused from all classes, though he'd seen the all-male team in more than a couple lectures, perhaps having been instructed by Professor Port to attend. But there was one class they'd never been in: Glynda's. The class that would have given them the most information about their fighting abilities.

Whether or not something like that was plotted out simply for the sake of this very match was lost on Jaune, as he raised his rifle. When they'd been given time to strategize, his three teammates had been more uncertain than Jaune had felt, but he'd had a source of information they hadn't.

One night, when he'd been unable to fall asleep easily, he'd gone for a walk to appease his wandering mind. Said walk took him to a rooftop, and he'd sat against a wall as he looked over the lights of Beacon Tower. He'd taken out his scroll, then. The one entrusted to him by Ozpin.

There hadn't been much on CRDL on the scroll. Of course, as much as he'd been curious of Blake or Velvet or Nora, or any of the other first, second, third, or fourth-years, he'd made sure to look up what he could on the members of Beacon's only all-male first year team. It would have been nonsensical to have not looked.

That night, he'd gone over everything he'd found in their folder. Individual test results, Initiation footage, registered equipment, forge requisitions. All of it.

He didn't know much, but he knew more than anyone else thought he did. He was just glad not a single member of his team had bothered asking him about how he knew so much when he started rattling off information about Cardin's mace, or how Russel was likely the fastest student at Beacon, barring Ruby using her semblance.

Oh, he'd face their onslaught of questions later, though. He had a feeling it was coming.

The boy pulled the trigger, Horizon's irons settled on Sky Lark's chest. The report of the round being fired hit Jaune's ears almost as quickly as he pulled the trigger again, sending another following the same path. His eyes only left his target to glance around at how everyone had moved. Russel had dashed away from the main group, off to the side and into the trees. No one on his team went to pursue him, but he trusted Weiss' judgment on that matter, turning and nodding to her. He'd made it explicitly clear when they'd been strategizing that she had the best counter for his speed, and she'd agreed with a smile.

The rest of CRDL, on the other hand, ran to meet Nora and Yang in a full-out charge. Sky lagged behind Cardin and Dove, thanks to the shots Jaune took.

Those first few seconds were organized, and easy to follow. The blond breathed out, the number of rounds left in Horizon at the forefront of his mind as he holstered the gun, running forward and pulling out Aquilla. The spear extended with a button press, and he prepared to turn and pull the trigger on whoever got furthest away from the main group. For a moment, he'd had no good sightlines, as the two teams' frontlines clashed.

Yang let out a yell as her fist closed with the flat of Dove's sword. Nora's hammer collided with Cardin's mace. Jaune watched on in concern, but when nothing happened beyond the ringing of metal hitting metal, he continued his run forwards, eyes on Sky as they both moved to back up their teammates.

One step at a time, things seemed to finally deviate from such a structured, seemingly scripted manner. Dove stepped back for breathing room, sweeping low to force Yang to back off herself. When she did, he closed with her again, bringing his shortsword down.

Cardin and Nora, however, turned into a veritable slugfest – Magnhild was brought down, letting out a dull thud as it hit the ground, digging in slightly. When Cardin swung, trying to catch Nora with her hammer immobilized, the girl stepped closer to the buried head of her hammer, and there was an explosion of pink, chunks of the ground flung into the air with the blast.

Perhaps the biggest result of the two fights was the division. It went from being Cardin and Dove against Yang and Nora, to two separate fights.

Jaune, for a moment, wasn't sure what to do, then instinct took over.

He turned, the blade of Aquilla meeting Dove's shortsword as Yang stepped back. He flung out his left arm, sheath of Crocea Mors extending just in time to catch the edge of Sky's halberd. Yang stepped in to engage Sky, and Jaune turned his full attention to Dove, pulling the trigger of Aquila to cause an explosion, disengaging.

It might not have been the best matchups they could have asked for, but pressing what advantage they could find would win this fight.

Jaune swept low, much like Dove had done to Yang, but the boy didn't back away. He stepped into the attack, blocking with the flat of his blade as he stepped closer. Dove underperformed in initiation from what Jaune had seen, but that the only weapon the boy seemed to have as a student of Beacon Academy was a shortsword spoke of his skill with it.

When Jaune tried to pull back, Dove pursued, and when the blond tried to press the attack, the boy was able to deflect, or block, or dodge almost effortlessly. Jaune growled in frustration, realizing the skill gap there for what it was. He'd barely been trained in spear-based combat, while Dove likely had years of experience with his sword.

He needed to do what he excelled at, then, and use the advantage he had.

Jaune pulled the trigger on Aquila.

* * *

Yang grunted, her fist coming to a dead stop when it collided with the shaft of Sky's halberd. The boy's arms barely budged, and the blonde stepped forward, feinting another punch, then raising her leg in a waist high kick that Sky blocked as well. When he moved back and attempted to counter, she flipped, firing two shells from her gauntlets to keep him back.

Her punches should have been knocking the boy silly, but they weren't. Was he really that strong? Sky stood across from her, settling back down into a stance. The blonde looked over to Jaune for but a second. She needed to get back to him – Sky's halberd was too much range for her to handle effectively, especially seeing as she somehow couldn't quite overpower him. They both caught their breath, and the boy dashed forwards, Yang growling as she moved to meet his charge.

He was lanky. Wiry. Every time he blocked her punches, though, it was like she was hitting a brick wall.

Why?

She could win – she was certainly would, not a doubt in her mind, except for a small one she immediately snuffed. The question now was if she could win fast enough to support the rest of her team. It was as Glynda had told her, the one day of their individual training.

She needed to be faster.

Sky swung his halberd high, and she ducked beneath it, spinning as she dodged. She raised a fist stepping forward to put herself off balance, and the boy readjusted his grip on his weapon quickly, bringing it down to block. His reactions were fluid.

Arm cocked back, Yang lowered it slightly, as if transitioning into an uppercut. Jabbing her fist forward, she forced a flower of flame out before her as the recoil pushed her back on balance. She clenched her left hand into a fist, watching Sky's core. When the boy moved, she repeated the motion with the opposite hand, spinning with the momentum of the fired shell. She raised her arm, and her elbow knocked the boy's halberd out of position.

She stepped forward, and aimed her next jab at the boy's arm. When it connected with a blast, he turned with the force of her strike, sweeping his halberd around. He swept low, and Yang jumped over the blade, firing two more shells as she flipped over him. Her eyes caught the grimace on his face.

Yang landed, and Sky turned. Her fists were held behind her, and she moved to dash forward. The boy before her was tensed, ready for her.

She stopped.

She took a breath, standing still, and calmly raised her fists until the yellow shine of Ember Celica lined up with the bottom of Sky's chin – like she was sighting down a rifle. She'd almost fallen back into her old habit of charging in without a thought. Being so caught up in watching Sky for openings and thinking about what she'd have to do to break his guard, she'd forgot one of her mentor's most important lessons from that day not too long ago.

Sometimes, the fastest way to win was to wait. Opportunity could come to you as fast as you can make it, if not faster. When Yang had asked for an explanation, she'd gotten one. Thoroughly. She'd realized how stupid they'd all been, herself in particular.

After all, that had been how the professor took them on, four against one, day after day. She'd waited for them, and then exploited the openings they'd given her.

There was the sound of a distant shot fired. Horizon, and one of Jaune's more powerful rounds by the sound of it. She and Sky stood there, about ten or so steps away from each other. Yang didn't move, but Sky did, stalking towards her. Her teammates could take whoever they were fighting. She had faith in them.

There was no aggressive dash. No roar as she brought her fist forward. She just crossed one foot in front of the other, relaxing her fingers, but ready to clench them into fists at a moment's notice as she floated towards Sky. Her own heartbeat raced in her ears, and her breath was let out in a slow, quiet hiss.

A few paces away, Sky lunged forwards, swinging his halberd in a wide, predictable arc. It was by no means slow, but she felt as if she could've counted the seconds it took for the blade to come even close to her. The boy didn't have good reactions – she'd just been far too obvious. Her arm went out to the side, and the back of Ember Celica's right gauntlet collided with the edge of Sky's halberd. Her arm wavered, but she held the awkward block, the boy pulling his weapon back for another strike.

She blinked, and then blinked again.

There were so many opportunities.

Yang stomped on the ground, then lashed out, lunging forward. Her fist was centered in the middle of Sky's torso, the metallic ring of her gauntlet hitting his chest then hitting her ears – though it didn't overcome the sound of her beating heart. It felt like the softest punch she'd ever thrown, but her opponent still staggered back. She glanced to his feet for an instant, and then stepped forwards again, and delivered a left cross to his shoulder. She stepped again, hooking his ankle with hers, and grabbed the collar of his plate armor.

Sky fell backwards, but Yang held him up, and delivered a quick jab to his face, followed by another. When she felt the tension around her leg go slack, the blonde let go and pulled back, sending her fist straight down into the boy's face again. He hit the ground hard, coughing. Yang knelt down, fist raised, but her arm didn't strike when she told it to. She looked up, seeing her arm encased in a purple glow.

"Sky Lark has been eliminated."

Yang relaxed as she stood, and took a breath, scanning the clearing before her. Close to the edge of the clearing, she saw Weiss atop a glowing glyph, dashing away just as Russel flew out from the trees, burying his daggers where the white-haired girl had stood. Yang turned to where she'd last seen Jaune-

The edge of a blade bit into her shoulder, Yang crying out as the force of the blow pushed her to her knees. The sharp pain was barely dulled as she put a hand to her shoulder, wincing as she scrambled away from her assailant, turning and rising. The brawler leveled her fists as she tried to ignore the stinging sensation. She'd just knocked out Sky, and Russel was occupied. The only one left with a bladed weapon was-

Dove stood there, shortsword gripped in his right hand, level with his head as he moved to dash forwards. A shot rang out from Yang's left, and the boy before her turned, barely able to catch the shot on the edge of his blade. The resulting explosion knocked him back a few paces, but through the remaining smoke, she could see him scramble back into a stance.

The footsteps that approached from her left reassured her, and she blinked up at Jaune, the boy's face scrunched up in displeasure as she winced. She put her hand to her shoulder, and it came away damp with blood. A cursory glance at the tear in her jacket showed the wound was already healing, however.

"You okay?" Her boyfriend asked in a panic, eyes down his sights as he started firing rounds through the smoke. "He got away from me. Kept out of my vision after I hit him with one of my explosive rounds."

Yang growled, more frustrated in her own lapse of attention than with Jaune's apparent mishap. "I'm fine. Focus on him." She raised her fists as the smoke separating the duo from Dove dispersed, as much as her shoulder protested the action.

The blade Dove held was simple, unassuming. Much like the rest of CRDL, and yet he was strong enough to cut through her Aura, even if he did take her by surprise.

"He's good." Was all Jaune tacked on, as if agreeing with her thoughts while reloading Horizon. A quick glance, and Yang realized the blond no longer had Aquilla, wherever it was. Her eyes focused on their opponent, how he stood, knees bent, sword raised.

They needed to take care of him quickly. If they waited here – if she waited here – they'd lose their advantage. Yang took a step forward, and then another. Jaune moved with her, crossing the scorched and broken ground of the clearing they'd sweated and bled in countless times. Dove stood there, ready and waiting for them, eyes open wide as they flicked between her and her partner.

"Nora Valkyrie has been eliminated!"

* * *

The only thing Weiss Schnee could afford to offer in response to Professor Port's overly-excited announcement was a blink – and only one.

 _Damn it, Nora..._

The Schnee heiress held her rapier at the ready, eyes set on the tops of the trees around her. She needed to get back out of the woods, but every time she'd tried, Russel had pursued, and forced her back in.

Jaune was right, the boy was fast. Shockingly so.

Perhaps it wasn't the wisest to retreat back into the trees at the edge of the clearing, but when Sky's elimination was announced, Weiss realized it would be best for her to be keeping one of their opponents occupied, while the rest of her team fought at an advantage. It was a near perfect solution.

Now, with her partner out, they were even again. It was possible the rest of the match would be decided by who made it back to their team first – especially if it presented a three-on-one scenario. The gears spun in the girl's head as the cylinder spun on Myrtenaster, Burn Dust just a trigger pull from swathing her blade.

She bit her lip, admittedly a little uncertain of her current line of thought.

 _Glynda can put out fires, can't she...?_

Weiss heard the creak of a branch, and spun, Russel somersaulting towards her. She pulled her rapier back, pulled the trigger, and lunged, a jet of fire streaking towards her opponent. It coated the boy as he spun, and he lashed out, a knife swinging down towards Weiss' head. The boy's eyes were closed shut to protect them from the geyser of flame she unleashed, and so she saw opportunity.

Myrtenaster's cylinder spun briefly, and she blocked Russel's dagger, ice coating her blade, then quickly thawing due to the heat. When the boy's eyes opened, not only did he open them to a cloud of steam, but Weiss also continued to hold the trigger down, freezing his dagger and her rapier together.

The mohawked boy swung his other dagger wildly, Weiss just barely ducking out of the way. He kicked at her shins, and attempted to pull back. Unable to attack with her weapon, Russel still gripping his dagger tightly, Weiss did the only thing she could.

She curled the fingers of her free hand, pulled her arm back, and punched him in the nose.

Wincing, Weiss wrested control of her rapier, disarming Russel of one of his daggers. Cylinder spinning, the white-haired girl thawed her ice-covered blade with another gout of fire, the wrist of her right hand still stinging from the recoil of her punch as it gripped the hilt of the dagger. The boy before her was holding his nose with his hand, second dagger held loosely in the other.

Did she really punch him that hard?

The girl didn't have time to truly consider it, settling back into a tight stance, then thrusting with Myrtenaster. She didn't know how much Aura he had left, having been trading blows since the start, but she couldn't hold back either, aiming for his shoulder. She pushed him back, continuing to thrust until the boy's back was against the tree, and the tip of her rapier just barely punctured the boy's clothes. She pulled back when she noticed, but the boy's pained groan was an indication she went too far.

The girl shivered, applying a little more pressure on unwounded flesh. She felt the tip slide across his Aura, but she could easily penetrate that. She settled cold eyes on his. "Surrender."

Russel dropped his dagger, hair a little bit singed as his eyes watered. He raised his free hand, his other still covering his nose.

"Russel Thrush has surrendered." Weiss turned her head to Goodwitch, who'd announced it loudly from across the small copse of trees they'd been in. The sounds of combat echoed out from behind her team's mentor, and she met the blonde woman's eyes for but a second.

Weiss didn't hesitate, dashing past the professor, Myrtenaster in one hand, and the dagger she'd taken from Russel in the other.

It took a few seconds, but the Schnee heiress broke past the edge of the clearing, seeing the ensuing fight from quite the distance away. Jaune's blade was crossed with Dove's, both boys looking haggard, but still fighting vigorously. Even as far as she was, Weiss could hear Cardin roar as his mace passed through the empty air above Yang's ducking head. A cursory glance to the side as she dashed to join her teammates, Weiss saw Nora and Sky chatting, both sitting back against a tree, neither of them looking well off. Lastly, Professor Port stood beside them, watching the fight intently.

She didn't have time to analyze the damage Nora took, though. As she approached, she watched Jaune back away from Dove, while Cardin got the haft of his mace between himself and Yang, pushing the blonde back. Yang's back hit Jaune's and they both seemed reassured by each other's presence.

The leader of CRDL raised his mace high above his head, and started glowing.

Weiss noticed it far too late.

"Run!" The word couldn't leave her lips fast enough, Cardin was already bringing the mace down. It hit the ground, the red glow blinding in that very moment. She barely saw the outline of Yang tackling Jaune to the ground.

Weiss saw the great flare of the explosion first, the force fracturing the ground beneath CRDL's leader and her teammates as they were engulfed in a blast that seemed to shake Remnant. The shockwave nearly knocked her from her feet. She fell to a knee and braced, refusing to be moved.

When she opened her eyes again, moments later, her hair framed her vision, and she blinked. She scowled, coughing, the dust slowly beginning to settle.

It was catastrophic. A crater, nearly as large as a Giant Deathstalker. The Winchester's mace was in the middle of it, haft at an angle, jutting out of the ground. The Dust crystal at its center crumbled, shattered and ruined. How had she not noticed it there at the beginning of the fight? Though, even Jaune didn't-

 _Jaune! Yang!_

Weiss' gaze swept over the clearing, around the edge of the crater. The girl quickly rose to her feet when she saw the soot covered lumps that were her teammates, running towards them. Yang rolled off of Jaune and onto her back, while Jaune pushed him up with his arms, before falling flat on his face. " _Ow_..."

"You two okay?" Weiss asked, momentarily panicking. She took a deep breath, and sighed in relief when Yang gave her a thumbs-up from her back, coughing slightly. She'd taken the brunt of the blow, and if she was fine, Jaune was fine. She rolled the boy over though, just to be sure. He smiled after a moment.

"You should let your hair down more often, Snow Angel."

Yang chuckled. "Stop- _ow -_ flirting with our teammates. I'm literally right here."

Shaking her head, Weiss sighed. "I really hate you both."

"Cardin Winchester, Jaune Arc, and Yang Xiao Long have been eliminated." Professor Port's booming voice resounded, getting closer with each name called out. The man came to stand beside her, Weiss' scroll already in her hand to check her teammate's Aura levels for herself. Both were low enough to constitute a knockout, and she assumed Cardin's was similar.

Her eyes drifted down to her own meter, and she stuffed her scroll back in her pouch. She mentally ticked off who was left of CRDL, rising to her feet. Over the crater between them, she saw the boy across from her standing slowly as well, dusting himself off.

One on one. Her, against Dove Bronzewing.

She had to consider her options, make the best decisions, and win. _She had to win._ Weiss took a breath, returned Myrtenaster to her hip, looped the dagger she took from Russel through her belt, and knelt down. Her hands settled around the weapon at her feet, and she rose up again.

Stock pressed to her shoulder, eyes sighted down the irons, she pulled Horizon's trigger, the weapon's report hitting her ears in a loud crack. Dove dipped behind the lip of the crater, whatever Dust round Jaune had loaded last hitting the edge of the recently formed cover. Ice spread over the lip, coating the dirt in a frosty shell. It glowed dully.

Weiss blinked. What the hell did Jaune make this time?

The girl knelt, returned Horizon to where Jaune laid face down, and drew Myrtenaster again. She spun the cylinder, stepped over the lip of the crater, and dashed around to the left of the patch of ice. Dove saw her coming.

How much that mattered was up to her.

The white-haired girl decided it wouldn't matter at all.

Once she was alongside her opponent, the boy just a few paces away, Weiss stabbed her rapier into the dirt. A long path of ice jetted along the ground, extending past Dove as he dodged to the side. She could scarcely believe that she had him right where she wanted him, continuing to hold the trigger as the ice stretched further and further.

When she finally pulled her rapier from the dirt, the boy ran towards her, his sword held low as he made his situation worse. On either side of Dove, the ground was slick. Whether he knew it or not, dodging to the side was reckless for him. Even so, he continued to charge forward, and Weiss drew Myrtenaster back.

She was made for this.

The girl ran to meet the boy's charge, one foot in front of the other as she swung her sword to meet his thicker, sturdier one. The blades collided, and Weiss stepped back, elbow bent, twisting Myrtenaster to bring the edge right along Dove's wrist, making contact as the boy's Aura flared. She pulled back, crouched, and lunged at the boy's legs, eyes ever wary of the angle of his chest and the position of his sword. When he moved to counter, her arm lashed out, deftly deflecting the strike, and she brought the blade back.

She parried the slash Dove tried to score on her side, stepped forward slightly, and brought her rapier along the outside of his extended leg. When he backed up, she pursued, dodging out of the way of his retaliation. Weiss breathed, strands of her hair framing her vision as her body coiled and flowed. She took one long, lunging step forward, and thrusted the tip of her sword towards the boy's chest, on the left-hand side.

Dove dodged to the side, foot slipping on the slick ice made earlier by Horizon. Weiss grinned as he leaned to steady himself, and she put the point of Myrtenaster to the dirt. As ice crept up Dove's legs, Weiss pulled back, stood straight, and held her rapier parallel to her stance. She took a breath, and a glyph spread beneath her feet.

 _Be a good boy and stay right there._

Time slowed for her – or rather, her perception and movement exceeded her norm – and she drew a circle through the air mentally. Glyphs appeared in the air like stray, ordered snowflakes, and she dashed forwards to the first one, Dove unable to turn and meet her as she passed, his legs immobilized.

Weiss dashed back and forth between the glyphs, each time avoiding her opponent's blade as he swung wildly around him, trying to pull himself free of the ice. A poor decision, as he had a better chance trying to break free if he turned his sword to the ice around his feet. Perhaps it was the pressure. Perhaps it was the many strikes of her own that landed, while he desperately tried to defend himself.

It didn't matter. She'd already won, the boy looking around for her, haggard and out of breath.

The Schnee heiress pulled her rapier back, breathing heavily herself. Both team's mentors were on either side of them, though at a respectable distance. Weiss only turned to the blonde professor who'd taught her for just one semester, and the rest of her team behind her.

Dove's Aura crackled, and faded.

Their expressions couldn't be simply defined. There were many words, but with the sudden rush of emotion that hit her... the feeling in her chest caught her off-guard.

"Team JWYN is the winner!" Glynda called out proudly.

Weiss smiled broadly and chuckled, using a glyph as a stepping platform so she wouldn't slip on the ice below. She dashed over to her team, pulling Russel's dagger from her belt and dropping it as she closed the distance. Yang was the first to meet her, followed up by Nora and Jaune.

Before Weiss knew it, she was on her back, proclaiming her team's victory.

She was laughing.

* * *

' _...though this discovery was nothing new, it was nice to finally have a practical scale to prove the tried and true method. I'll have to thank Tai._ '

Ruby blinked, then hummed and turned the page. She shuffled where she lay, trying to use her hips to dig deeper into the comfort of her mattress. Across the room, Pyrrha and Blake chatted quietly, while Ren showered, the petering of water on the other side of the door. They were all waiting on him, really. Pyrrha had called for a team meeting to talk about something. What, Ruby didn't know, but she had a couple of good guesses.

That could wait though. She was almost done reading her mother's journal. Just one more page... She might even be able to finish it before Ren got ou-

The girl squinted, sitting up. She flipped a page back, re-reading where she left off, and then turned back to the final page. She then flipped back to the very front, to where her mother had put a table of contents of sorts. It confirmed her suspicions, but as she read the first few lines, she stopped, sighed, and closed the book, hugging it to her chest.

The last page was a letter, addressed to... her aunt. Jaune's mom. From what little she read, she had no place reading it. However... the girl caressed the spine of the book with the tip of her index finger, nibbling on her lip. She sat up, putting it on her bedside table, but she continued to glance at it, even as she watched Blake and Pyrrha talk. That wasn't hers to read, but it was her mother's journal, after all. Maybe she could-

She was broken of her momentary lapse by the sound of the bathroom door clicking open. Ren stuck his head through the frame, Ruby just barely getting a glimpse of his bare chest as he stuck his arm into the room, pointing to the side. "Pyrrha, could you...?"

"Ah!" The redheaded girl popped up to her feet, grabbing the hanger with Ren's clothes, taking small steps towards the bathroom door. "Here." Once the hanger was in his hand, Ren retreated behind the door, and it closed.

Ruby stood, making her way over to Ren's bed, on the backside of where Blake and Pyrrha sat, plopping down on it. "So..." She started quietly, trailing off, her mother's journal still in her mind. Blake and Pyrrha both turned to her. The redhead wore a light, inquisitive smile as she returned to where she'd sat.

"You've been reading that book of yours a lot, recently." Pyrrha started, her eyes alight. "Usually you're just reading comics, or whatever Oobleck asks us to look at for classes."

Ruby chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess I'm just realizing what I've been missing out on since... ah, forget it." Shaking her head, Ruby ran some fingers through her hair. She looked back at the leather-bound journal on her nightstand, and took a breath. She'd go over it a couple more times. Her mother's words were a well of information she could certainly draw on. Once she'd done that, she'd...

...she'd what?

Once again, the bathroom door opened, Ruby's attention being drawn to it. Ren stepped out, and Ruby's eyes moved among her teammates, waiting patiently.

"So what's going on?"

The words left Pyrrha's lips before they could leave Ruby's own. Hadn't she been the one to call the meeting? Or is this about...

Oh.

Blake moved over to accommodate Ren, herself and the boy sitting at the head of the girl's bed, while Pyrrha sat closer to the foot. Ruby crossed her legs where she sat, looking to Blake and Ren as they shared a glance.

"My... friend Tukson." Blake began, her voice quiet, yet loud in the silent room. She sighed, shook her head quickly, and continued, eyes hard. "He was murdered. I... think it's related to everything that happened at the docks. With Roman Torchwick, and his-" The girl winced "-authority over the White Fang."

Ruby pursed her lips, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned forwards, humming. She'd apparently hummed louder than she'd intended to, because she'd drawn the gazes of the rest of her team. She blinked back at them, sitting up.

"You said you had a run-in with him before?" Ren quizzed, but more like a loaded question.

"Right. Torchwick's the reason I'm here." The girl affirmed. "He robbed a Dust shop I was in, I beat up his guys. The-"

"They weren't White Fang, were they?"

"No." Ruby immediately answered Blake's question. "They were with some thug from downtown." The only reason she knew the latter information was because she'd ran into Yang that one night she wasn't supposed to tell anyone else about. "I was in a tough spot when Professor Port came in and helped me out."

"You've never really said much about the specifics." Pyrrha tacked on. "Just that the professor's weapon is more complex than it looks."

Ruby waved her hand at that. "Every weapon is more complex than it looks. Look at everyone here at Beacon already! I'm surprised Jaune's sword isn't a butterfly-sword, or something."

"A what-sword...?" Blake raised an eyebrow.

The weapons-nut opened her mouth to speak, before clamping her lips shut. After a moment's pause to quell her excitement, the girl huffed "Don't get me started... I shouldn't be the one keeping us on subject!"

"Right." Pyrrha clapped, turning and staring at Blake, as did Ren. "So...?"

Blake sat quietly for a moment, lips pulled tight. She opened her mouth to speak.

"I want to look into Tukson's murder. Not just because he'd been an informant of the White Fang, or because he was an old contact... but because he was my friend. That it could be related directly to Torchwick, and that heist at the docks...?" Blake took a breath, meeting Pyrrha's eyes, and then turning to Ruby. "I need your help."

"I'm in." Ruby confirmed within a breath. She shuddered as she thought about it. Roman Torchwick was a criminal. Someone had died, and all the signs pointed to him being involved. Who else would get involved, before he'd be brought in? Who else would suffer because of one selfish man? If what they did or could do contributed to bringing him down, why hesitate?

"We've been in. We were all there at the docks." Pyrrha agreed, face set in stony determination. "Why back out now?"

"Exactly." Ruby smiled.

"Thanks, guys... That all said, I've been thinking – and talked to Ren about it before you came back from visiting with Jaune's family." Blake seemed almost... uncertain? "We got in a little bit of trouble for what we did at the docks, and I need to ask you guys for your opinions first."

"Go on."

"If we had to do something like that again – be in danger like that – would you be okay with it?"

Pyrrha turned to Ruby, while Ruby turned to her. Their eyes barely met before they turned back to Blake.

"Sure." They said in unison, though Ruby's thoughts wandered for a moment.

If the four of them were able to stop the heist at the docks, then... What about eight?

"What about asking JWYN for help too?"

The room was silent for only a moment, Blake speaking quickly.

"I don't think that would be for the best."

"What?" Ruby crossed her arms. "Why not?"

"Weiss. And Jaune."

"What about Weiss?" Ruby asked, tilting her head her faunus teammate. "And what about Jaune? They'd both help if we asked them to, I'm sure. My sister too!" The girl turned her eyes to Ren. "Nora would, right?"

Ren offered her a slow nod in response, before he looked to Blake. "They would be more than willing to help. Why n-"

"It's not a good idea." Blake seemed to stare at an arbitrary spot on the bed beneath her. "Weiss Schnee." The girl left extra emphasis on the girl's surname, and the weight of it seemed to resound around the room. "You don't think she'd react poorly to learning I was in the White Fang? Jaune too. Doesn't he have a history with them? And your sister does. Not to mention... well, you said something about how they did something for Ironwood? As in, General Ironwood, of the Atlesian military and headmaster of Atlas?"

Ruby bit her lip, nodding along. "Right..."

"It's not that I don't trust them-" That sounded like a lie, one for her sake "-but I just think it's best if we don't get them involved in this. The off chance we get in trouble for this..." Ruby watched as Blake looked between herself and Ren. "We don't want to drag them down with us, do we?"

"No." "Of course not."

Blake didn't say much else beyond that, simply turning to Pyrrha. The green-eyed girl looked pensive, hands clasped beneath her chin as she rested her elbows on her legs.

The leader of PBRL opened her mouth slightly, looking up to Blake.

"Where do we start?"

* * *

"So, neither of you noticed the massive Dust crystal in the head of Cardin's mace?"

"No." Jaune chuckled, scratching the back of his head as Yang growled softly, rubbing shoulders with him as they made their way out of the infirmary. As they turned to make their way towards the exit, his partner turned to Weiss, the girl walking astride them with Nora lagging just a pace or two behind her.

"I had noticed," Yang pointed out, "but I certainly hadn't expected him to make a massive explosion like that. That was crazy!" The blonde girl turned further back, to Nora. "Did something like that happen to you?"

Nora seemed distracted, her eyes popping up at Yang's question. "No. I was just..." The girl's eyes returned to the ground. Jaune pursed his lips, watching. "I was just outclassed. Cardin's a monster. He took everything I had and gave it right back."

Jaune tucked that in the back of his head, humming. "How did it go, exactly?" In his mind, he imagined the mother of all slugfests – massive weapons colliding, the shockwaves shaking the ground around them.

However, the only thing he could imagine is Nora prevailing over the leader of CRDL – the larger boy being knocked back by her overwhelming force. Jaune couldn't see the girl losing. That meant he seriously underestimated Cardin. If it came down to a fight between them again, he'd be aware of it.

"For all his armor, he's really fast. It seemed like every time I managed to land a hit, he'd just get me right back." The girl pouted, apparently finding the wallpaper very interesting as they walked. "I even lost Magnhild at one point. He hooked one of his mace's flanges around the haft when I went to block, and yanked." Nora pantomimed the motions as she described them, but even those actions lacked enthusiasm; she must have still been worn out from earlier. "Felt like my arms were gonna be pulled out of their sockets." The orange-haired girl shook her head. "He's a monster." She repeated. "I was surprised he didn't get up after that explosion."

"And you're not just exaggerating." Jaune didn't even need to ask.

Each member of CRDL had exceeded what the blond had expected of them. As much as it pained him to admit it, Dove was a better fighter than him. Weiss attested to Russel's speed - though she didn't stop preening about her decisive victory over Dove – and Yang had even said something about Sky being a lot sturdier than his early elimination him made him seem.

When Jaune asked his partner what she meant by that, she simply said that she hadn't felt that good in a fight, ever.

One thing Jaune took away from the match, however, was how they were going to have to step their game up – especially because he'd seen one thing his three teammates hadn't: CRDL's growth. He'd seen their fight in initiation, in the restricted files of his black scroll. In just one semester under Professor Port's mentorship, they became something fierce.

Had he not worn-down Dove as well as he had, would Weiss have won? If the match-ups had been any different? Their victories became less clear with each scenario the boy thought through.

Yang slugged him in the arm. Hard. Wincing in pain, Jaune groaned as he stumbled a couple steps to the side, rubbing the tender flesh.

"Quit thinking about it so much. We won." The girl beamed, sending a beatific smile his way, before turning. "You too Nora. Don't beat yourself up about it."

Jaune watched on as Yang's words seemed to put a little skip back into Nora's step, her token energetic smile spreading across her face. "You're right! I don't mind taking one for the team if it means we win." JWYN's powerhouse hopped from foot to foot, bounding towards the exit. She shoved the doors open, smiling back at them.

What she didn't see was what happened next – as the doors swung outwards, they collided with two men dressed from head to toe in white armor, both a fair spot taller than the girl. They were both sent stumbling back from the impact, as Jaune's eyes darted between them, and to the two behind them.

The moment they reached for their weapons, Aquilla was in Jaune's grip, the sheath of Crocea Mors popping out before him as he ducked around Nora, raising his shield and leveling his spear above it. He both felt and heard Yang tackle Nora, bringing her behind the cover of the doorway, even as Weiss pressed her side to his back, rapier over across his shoulder.

The four rifles leveled with him, and he stared down the barrels of each in turn.

"Stand down."

Jaune didn't relax until the rifles were pointing somewhere other than the doorway, Aquilla lowering, though his shield remained in place. He didn't blink as he took in the uniforms of the men, and turned his eyes to the one in the back he hadn't noticed in the panic.

His eyes widened as he rose from his defensive stance, arms to his sides. "General Ironwood?"

Standing there, hands clasped behind his back, the Atlesian general stared him down. Under the pressure of his gaze, Jaune stood straighter, feet shuffling as he tried to both relax and remain rigid.

The moment the general tweaked his eyebrow slightly in amusement, the tension left Jaune's shoulders, and he let out a breath. The boy heard the clattering of Weiss' rapier cycling, before there was silence from her as well.

"Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee..." The man turned his gaze to the edge of the doorframe, and Jaune's eyes followed his. "Yang Xiao Long, and... you must be Nora Valkyrie."

Yang snapped a mock salute. "Good to see you again, General."

Nora, on the other hand, nodded to the general, before turning to one of the soldiers she hit with the door. "Sorry."

Jaune watched on as James Ironwood looked among his own men, the headmaster of Atlas clearing his throat. "Lieutenant Roe, you and your squad are dismissed. Head back to the ship and get some rest. Good work today."

"Sir!" Jaune hadn't been expecting the effeminate squeak from the tallest, bulkiest soldier there, but he ignored the four soldiers leaving in favor of looking the general up and down, Yang and Nora both coming up to stand beside him.

"Miss Valkyrie." The leader of JWYN could almost feel the girl tense up.

"Y-yes?"

"I'd like to thank you for being such a good friend to Penny Polendina while she's been here without her team. Remnant would surely benefit if there were more people like you around."

"Oh." The girl clasped her hands together in front of her and bowed slightly. "Any time...?"

The corners of the general's lips tugged up in a slight smile, eyes passing over Weiss and Yang before finally settling on Jaune. "You four look like you've been put through the wringer."

"We had a team match with one of the other first-year teams." Jaune stated.

The man hummed back in return. "Considering what I've heard and what I see before me, it must have been quite the spectacle."

What he'd heard?

"What you've heard, sir?" Weiss voiced the question before Jaune did, looking up to the general curiously.

The headmaster of Atlas blinked. "About Beacon's three first-year teams. More so the rumors my professors pick up from the students, that they in turn share with me."

"Rumors?" Yang, that time.

"Three Beacon first-year teams – the only three this year." The headmaster and general began. "Listing things off, I've heard everything from how they're as strong as a full-fledged second-year team, to... less pleasant phrases and monikers." The man looked among them, eyes cool and calculating. "I think it was Team PBRL that stopped a heist of one Roman Torchwick down in Vale? Reports of them bringing down an armed and armored Bullhead. I'd even heard something about a food-fight that tore Beacon's cafeteria apart?" The man's lips pursed, he shook his head. "Doubtful, that one."

JWYN's members shared a nervous glance.

"The thing about rumors is they're a good gauge of people's opinions, which are one of the most important things to acknowledge in my position, both as a general and headmaster."

Jaune mentally tacked on that having a backdoor into everyone's scrolls and the entirety of the CCTS probably helped too. The small device in his left pocket felt a lot heavier.

"What my professors have heard that may or may not be true isn't really important right now, however." The career-soldier waved aside, looking around the courtyard. "While I'd enjoy hearing what the four of you have to say yourselves, I have a meeting with your Headmaster. Perhaps we'll have a chance to talk again soon. But for now, please excuse me."

The headmaster didn't even hesitate as he began to stalk forward, nor did Jaune or Weiss hesitate in separating to his sides as he passed between him. Nora held the door open, and the man nodded graciously as he passed.

As the heavy wood and frosted glass clicked shut between the team and the impressive man, JWYN collectively let out a sigh, before continuing on their way back to their dorm.

"He seems nice." Nora said. What could have been judged as a sarcastic statement certainly didn't sound like one to Jaune. "You've all met him before, right?"

"Yeah, you remembered?" Yang laughed quietly, putting her hands behind her head. "Good times... good times..."

"Those were far from good times." Weiss chastised, the three girls' chatter behind Jaune not really able to bring his thoughts back down to the ground.

Was there a reason the general was there? One would assume it was for the festival, but Jaune had more than good reason to be paranoid – It could be anything. He'd mentioned Torchwick and the heist PBRL thwarted in particular. Something to do with that? It could have just been a courtesy visit of sorts, but Ironwood specifically called his visit with Ozpin a meeting. Was there some kind of meaning laced behind his words? And what of his acknowledgement of the three first-year teams?

The boy gave his head a shake. Why did his mind seem so scattered? His shoulders were stiff, as was his neck.

"Jaune?"

The boy blinked rapidly, turning. When he looked among the faces of his team, he noticed the three girls were a few paces back.

"What is it?" He asked, frowning at the distance between them.

"We called your name like five times. Are you okay?" Weiss wondered, putting a hand to her hip.

"You don't need to go back to the infirmary, do you?" His girlfriend's voice could have been either joking or worried, but Jaune just settled for considering it to be both. "That explosion might have rattled you more than we thought."

"Nah, I'm fine." Jaune waved it off. "You were closer to it anyways. I thought you were going to rip Cardin in two when you found out your hair was singed at the ends."

The blonde girl growled, and stomped towards him. "I'd almost forgotten..." Both Weiss and Nora shot him a look, the boy only able to smile apologetically. He probably shouldn't have reminded her. Yang had been really good at keeping her temper in check recently.

He turned, continuing to march back towards the dorm building, one foot in front of the other. Yang walked beside him, arms crossed, grumbling to herself about how she was going to have to make a few quick trims to clean it up, and treat the rest of it. Whatever she had to do, she'd probably want to be left to hersel-

"Jaune, I-" Yang cut off suddenly "On second thought, no. Never mind."

The blond boy opened his mouth to respond, but his partner turned away, looking to the side. He cocked an eyebrow and turned back to Weiss and Nora, the two girls a stride or two behind. They both offered confused shrugs and sympathetic glances.

And now Yang was his problem alone. Great.

Jaune reached out, pulling open one of the doors to the dorm building, holding it open for his team. They passed through, and the blond turned, took a step forwards, and came face to face with a girl whose eyes seemed to bore into him. Too close.

 _Oh no!_

* * *

Reese had been standing there, stock-still as the team poured through the dorm building's doors. Her eyes followed each head, then traced each body as the girls passed her by.

First, a girl dressed in white and red – though her otherwise pristine boots were caked with mud – hair done up in a long white ponytail. Then, a blonde with long, wavy locks that honestly looked like they'd seen better days. An orange-haired energetic girl with a pink skirt and a large bruise on her arm topped the three girls off, bulky looking weapon slung at her lower back.

They all looked like they'd just come back from training, but still remarkably fresh, like their day wasn't yet done. The orange-ette was even sprouting a broad smile, laughing at something or other.

There was a brief pause in the traffic, and Reese took a step forwards, her team having been waiting quietly behind her as they watched the worn fighters pass. They'd been on their way towards the exit when the door had opened, another day of roaming Beacon without much else to do. Bolin said something to Arslan that the green-haired girl didn't hear as she stopped in her tracks.

Blue eyes met the Haven student's own, and Reese took a stumbling step to avoid running right into the blond boy in front of her. Her lips split to say something – anything – that might prevent disaster.

The boy's eyes widened as he stepped towards her.

"Shi-"

Reese ran into the boy, but, thankfully, not at full force, arms brought up between them. Just a soft bump: the way the two of them had tried to dance past each other dulling the impact. Taking a step back, Reese's eyes went wide as she felt her heel catch something.

The girl only had the wherewithal to look to her feet as she fell backwards, throwing out an arm behind herself instinctually to steady herself against whoever on her team had ran into her, only for them to back away, her fingertips grazing cloth. Her eyes narrowed in a wince as she tilted further and further back, her heel hooked around the left foot of the blond boy. She saw one of his feet leave the ground, and braced.

A hand on her shoulder, then a pull. Her world was skewed as she spun. Reese threw her arm out reaching for the only support she could find.

The blond boy hit the floor, and then Reese fell on top of him, chest pressed against his armor, their faces mere inches from each other, and then closer. Her breath left her in a rush, legs tangled with the stranger's as the impact winded her.

Their foreheads collided, and Reese grimaced.

"Jaune!"

"Reese!"

The blond beneath her groaned. One of Reese's hands pressed against his warm chestplate, while the other went to her head, wincing. The girl blinked and unwound her legs from the strangers, straddling the blond beneath her.

He chuckled uncomfortably and smiled, eyes scrunched up in a wince of his own. His hand was still gripping her shoulder.

"You alright?"

"I'm... fine." Reese let out, sitting there with her knees on either side of the blond's hips. She turned her head, glancing up as Arslan came to stand above them, shoulder to shoulder with the other blonde girl with the singed hair.

"Well, are you two gonna be there all day?" The blonde girl standing beside Arslan seemed to tease, eyebrow raised. She almost seemed a little... Reese couldn't even guess what was on the girl's mind, because her lips seemed to twitch up into a smile, even as her eyes seemed to want to skin her alive.

"To be fair, it's almost as comfortable as my bed..." Reese could feel the boy talking beneath her, each word vibrating where they touched. The teasing blonde shot the boy beneath her a look, and he didn't say anything more, some kind of quiet conversation occurring between the two.

It would take an idiot to no realize what was compromising about the situation. Everything added up in the green-haired girl's head, and she pushed herself up into a sitting position, using the blond's chestplate for leverage. Her eyes met his when he turned away from his – she assumed – teammate.

He smiled up at her as he shuffled beneath her. Hand still on her shoulder, he offered her his other. "Jaune."

The girl smiled – suppressing the urge to let out a very unladylike snort – and took it. "Reese." She got one foot under herself, and got to her feet, pulling the blond up along the way. He was heavy, and as the boy stood tall, stretching and dusting himself off, she could see why.

The belts securing the amount of equipment he seemed to carry were laden with metal cylinders, ranging from the size of Reese's thumb to a larger cylinder at his waist that was about the size of a water-bottle. The girl could see the handle of a weapon jutting out above his back, but also the grip of some sort of firearm at his lower back, and the hilt of a sword with a thick sheath hanging from his belt. The blond was practically a walking armory – and she didn't even know what was in the cylinders.

There was his armor too. He didn't wear as much as some people she'd seen, but it all added up in the end. She knew she'd have trouble moving if she was wearing all that.

And he'd moved fast enough to catch her when she fell... or, well, to get beneath her.

A moment passing and an elbow in her side courtesy of Arslan, Reese realized she'd been staring – but not without noticing that he'd looked just as haggard as the other three girls.

"Jaune, are you sure you're okay?" The blonde girl quizzed, moving to stand at his side. Reese looked between the two, missing a little context it seemed.

"I'm fine, just... tired." Jaune noted, meeting Reese's eyes again. "You are fine, yeah? I mean, I know I asked, but..."

The same catty blonde tapped Jaune on his armored shoulder with a metal bracer she wore. "She said she's fine, Jaune, don't be a worrywart." The girl turned smiling lilac eyes to Reese, then Arslan, and even to the boys as they came to stand behind. "Sorry about him. He might claim he's not, but he's a little out of it. We had a spar with another team, earlier, and I think an explosion rattled his brainbox a little."

"Yang, I said I'm fi-"

"And _I_ am just teasing." The blonde – Yang – reached up and pinched Jaune's cheek, the boy swatting at her hand until she let go. Reese raised an eyebrow as the girl made eye contact with all of them again, the other two girls who'd walked coming to stand beside her, not unlike the rest of ABRN had. "You're from..." She bit her lip. "Shade?"

Arslan shook her head in response.

"Atlas?" The orange haired girl guessed a little too energetically.

A "No" from Nadir.

"Haven." Both Jaune and the white-haired girl with the scar stated plainly, to which Bolin let out a hum of affirmation.

"...And you four are Beacon students?" Reese wondered aloud.

The orange-haired girl gasped. "In one guess? How'd you know?"

"It's the only one we didn't guess."

Arslan gasped. "Wait, aren't you... Weiss Schnee?"

Everyone turned to look at the white-haired girl, and said girl stood a little straighter, before clearing her throat. "Yes."

"Oh my god, your vocal range is incredible. I'm a huge fan."

Reese took that moment to cover her eyes with a hand and sigh to herself. Of all the people to run into at Beacon, it would be one of Arslan's favorite artists. No offence to the girl, she had a good set of pipes on her, but Reese had other preferences.

"...I was even lucky enough to nab tickets to one of your concerts before."

"I'm... well, it's a pleasure to meet a... fan my age, someone who's been to one of my performances no less." The girl's icy blue eyes shone. It sounded like honest excitement, and to be fair, Reese could respect that.

"You sing?"

The blond boy who'd caught Reese had his eyes scrunched up in confusion. The white-haired girl wheeled on him.

"Are you serious?!" The Schnee girl's mood did a one-eighty, as she seemed to glower at the blond. "We've lived together for almost a whole semester, and you still didn't know that?"

"I mean, I've never heard you sing." Jaune shrugged. To his credit, he didn't seem disturbed in any way by Weiss' ire.

"Singing's taken a back seat for now." The girl settled an arm between the hilt of her blade and her hip, resting it there. Whatever brief spot of anger she'd had was schooled quickly into the graceful demeanor Reese would have expected of her. "Training to help protect people takes priority."

"W-Weiss, is that you?" Yang – someone Reese was seeing as more and more of a jokester – feigned surprise, a hand to her chest with wide eyes as she reached out to the Schnee's shoulder. "Who are you, and what have you done with Weiss?"

She got a scoff in response. "I'm still me."

"Me?" The orange-haired girl whose name Reese hadn't caught yet had a playful grin stretched across her face. "But I'm me. You can't be me!"

Reese watched on as the team of four in front of her began to bicker amongst each other. Or, well, one girl dressed in white did all the bickering, while the other three teased her. She shook her head softly, even as a smile spread across her own face.

"Reese, what are you..."

"Say, uh..." The girl spoke up over Arslan's question, stepping forward. The four pairs of eyes before her settled on her own, though she could only choose to meet one pair, turning to the blond boy who'd broken her fall. "What's fun around here?"

Jaune turned to his teammates, asking them an unspoken question. When Reese followed his eyes, he saw excited nodding, a roll of a pair of eyes, and an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

The blond turned back to her, nodding with a little smirk.

"Sure, why not."

* * *

Rain pelted the deck of the ship, even as the roaring wind seemed to fill the girl's ears, the hood of her waterproof poncho tugged down around her face as she crouched. She looked to the cover across from her, and the shrouded figures standing her opposite.

There was a stiff, quick nod, and Ilia made her move, rounding the corner with her weapon drawn. The tip of it lashed out, and sent a shock to the system of the patrolling Atlesian Knight.

The mechanical soldier fell to the deck with a metallic clatter, rolling thunder sounding out above. The faunus reached out to the smoking metal, vaguely warm to the touch, and dragged it back to her own cover, before tossing it aside. She waited, holding her breath.

Seconds passed, but there was no alarm sounding – just the petering of the rain hitting the girl's hood as she shivered.

The bulkier of the two frames across from Ilia slipped around the corner of the cargo container, followed by the other. The chameleon faunus bent her knees, and jumped, springing up to the top of her own cover and yet keeping low as she moved to catch up with the other two.

They claimed they needed her talents as the best infiltrator the White Fang had for this mission, and so far, they really had needed it, even if she had to travel halfway around Remnant for it. She moved, her footsteps nearly matching the rain as it hit the container underfoot. Her trained ears heard every motion her two allies made, though the smaller one was significantly quieter than the bigger man was, lugging his weapon around like that.

At this point, however, the ship was cleared of every patrol. At least, of the mechanized variety. Whoever else was on board, they would be able to make short work of, if they had any reason to at all. For Ilia, that they were on board the vessel alone was reason enough. Human bastards.

The White Fang agent hopped off the container, landing with a soft tap of her feet. She quickly moved behind a tarped box, looking over to the others. They were stacked up on either side of a door, and the larger one waved her over.

She scoffed, shook her head, and dashed out, sliding along the slick deck to crouch beside them.

"Open it." The gruff voice commanded.

Ilia stared blankly at the padlock, reached for her weapon, and gave it a stiff chop with the hilt. The lock snapped open, and she pulled it free, barely making a noise.

"I could have done that."

 _That's the point._

The bigger man, the owner of the gruff voice and a lieutenant of Adam's, pulled the door open, and the squad of three made their way inside. Glad to be out of the rain – and not needing to head back out any time soon – the three discarded their ponchos, and Ilia rolled her shoulders. She regarded the third member of their team through the slits in her mask, crouched low as the rat faunus pulled a scroll from his belt. They moved through corridors, the rat in the lead, the lieutenant in the middle, and Ilia watching their backs.

A quiet encounter with some Atlesian Knights later, the three found themselves looking out over a long, wide, dimly lit cargo area, with one brighter light towards the middle of the compartment. The ship lurched and groaned, but Ilia's eyes were settled on their prize.

"Ready." The rat faunus stated behind her, Ilia able to hear the tapping on the scroll as she looked out over the prototype Atlesian Paladins. Twelve of them. There were a few guards, as well as a couple men in white coats looking over their targets.

"Kill the lights."

For the humans inside, everything went black. For Ilia, everything was as clear as it was just moments ago. There was panicked shouting, and the sound of something being knocked over.

She moved.


End file.
